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THE  AMERICAN  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY 

EDITED  BY 
CASPAR    WHITNEY 


THE   AMERICAN   THOROUGHBRED 

BY 
CHARLES   E.   TREVATHAN 


;v>t^°' 


THE    AMERICAN 


THOROUGHBRED 


BY 


CHARLES   E.   TREVATHAN 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON:   MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Ltd. 
1905 


All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1905, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 

Set  up  and  electrotyped.      Published  March,  1905. 


Narbiaoti  l^tesa 

J.  8.  Gushing  &  Co.  —  IJervvick  &  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


DEDICATION 

Co  t]}z  IHemorg  of  t!)e  3Late 
WILLIAM    COLLINS   WHITNEY 

GENTLEMAN   AND   SPORTSMAN 

TO   WHOSE  ADVICE   AND   ASSISTANCE   I   OWE   MUCH 

OF  WHATEVER   IS   WORTH   WHILE 

IN   THIS   VOLUME 

THE  AUTHOR 


CONTENTS 


Illustrations 


CHAPTER 

I.  Whence  the  American  Thoroughbred 

II.  The  First  Race  Meetings  . 

III.  Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen 

IV.  Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother 

V.  Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen    . 

VI.  First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North 

VII.  Eclipse  and  Henry      .... 

VIII.  What  a  Thoroughbred  Mare  may  Do 

IX.  Thoroughbreds  of  the  West 

X.  Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle     . 

XI.  Kentucky's  Greatness  of  Blood 

XII.  Boston  the  King  . 

XIII.  When  Boston  met  Fashion 

XIV.  When  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met 
XV.  The  Last  Race  of  Lexington 

XVI.  Racing  in  War  Times  . 

XVII.  The  House  of  Lexington    . 

XVIII.  Harry  Bassett  and  Longfellow 

XIX.  Turf  Affairs  of  California 

XX.  The  Four-miler  Passing 
vii 


PAGB 

ix 


15 
37 
85 
no 
124 
146 
172 
185 
192 
220 
231 
247 
274 
294 

313 
322 

332 
349 
364 


viii  Contents 

CHAPTER  PACE 

XXI.  The  Coming  of  the  Modern  Type     .        .        .  376 

XXII.     The  Racing  of  To-day 397 

XXIII.  In  Hanover's  Time 410 

XXIV.  When  Salvator  beat  Tenny      ....  429 
XXV.  Dominance  of  Domino  ......  438 

XXVI.    Horses  of  To-day 453 

Index    . 469 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Peytona  and  Fashion's  Great  Match  for  $20,000,  over 
THE  Union  Course,  Long  Island,  Tuesday,  May  13, 
1845  ........        Ff'ontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

August  Belmont 38 

Glencoe 76 

James  R.  Keene 126 

Boston 232 

Lexington 276 

William  R.  Travers 314 

Jerome  Park 328 

Fashion 348 

Leonard  W.  Jerome 402 

Watching    the  "  Brooklyn   Handicap,"  Gravesend 

Course,  May  26,  1904 418 

Salvator 430 

William  C.  Whitney 460 


THE  AMERICAN  THOROUGHBRED 

CHAPTER   I 

WHENCE    THE    AMERICAN    THOROUGHBRED 

For  the  existence  of  this  thing  which  we  call 
the  thoroughbred  horse  of  America,  we,  in  com- 
mon with  all  countries  of  civilization,  must  give 
thanks  to  England.  There  is  not  at  this  day 
galloping  upon  the  turf  of  any  land  under  the  sun 
a  single  animal  worthy  of  the  name  of  race-horse 
which  does  not  go  back  through  generations  to 
an  original  English  foundation. 

The  American  turf  is  only  the  English  turf 
transplanted,  with  some  alterations,  to  a  new  soil. 
Our  whole  instinct  for  racing  comes  from  our 
English  and  Irish  ancestry,  and  we  were  the  first 
country  outside  of  England  itself  to  begin  the 
breeding  of  horses  for  purposes  of  the  turf  and 
for  their  general  improvement. 

Almost  with  the  genesis  of  the  white  man  upon 
the  American  continent  the  use  of  the  horse  as  a 


2  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

means  of  sport  came  into  vogue.  In  spite  of  her 
years  of  precedence,  England  has  scarce  had  upon 
her  own  home  turf  —  which  is  the  mother  turf  — 
more  delightful  days  of  racing,  accompanied  by 
more  delightful  incident,  than  that  which  accom- 
panied the  early  sport  of  the  running  of  horses 
in  these  United  States  of  America. 

Somewhere,  at  some  time  in  the  long-ago,  the 
writer  remembers  a  tall  gentleman,  with  the  man- 
ners of  a  grenadier,  delivering  a  sort  of  lecture 
on  the  sword.  He  illustrated  his  talk  with  an 
exhibition  of  the  swords  of  all  times  and  of  all 
nations.  He  concluded  his  oration  with  a  strik- 
ing passage,  of  which  there  remains  to  this  day 
in  the  writer's  mind  this  line:  "  It  [the  sword]  has 
ever  been  the  friend  and  the  faithful  of  the  gen- 
tleman." And  it  would  seem,  following  this  story 
of  the  thoroughbred  race-horse,  or  that  species  of 
the  equine  which  has  furnished  sport  for  half  the 
civilizations  of  the  world,  and  peculiarly  and  par- 
ticularly for  those  civilizations  which  had  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race  for  their  beginning,  that  the 
thoroughbred  has  ever  been  the  companion  and 
the  faithful.  Certainly  we  owe  his  early  and 
prominent  existence  in  America  to  the  coming  of 
the  first  gentleman. 


Whence  the  American  Thoroughbred        3 

Back  yonder,  so  far  as  there  is  record,  or  even 
tradition,  to  tell  of  a  race-horse  in  America,  there 
is  mention,  which  has  been  credited  as  true  men- 
tion, of  the  importation  to  this  country  of  a 
stallion  called  Bulle  Rock.  In  the  American 
Stud  Book,  which  is  that  authority  to  which  we 
must  all  refer,  you  may  find  the  name  Bulle  Rock 
as  given  to  a  horse  foaled  in  England  in  17 18, 
and  imported  into  Virginia  in  1730.  So  early 
was  his  birth  in  Albion,  that  neither  the  Stud 
Book  nor  Racing  Calendar  in  that  country  had 
been  established,  and  the  records  of  exportations 
from  there  were  as  unreliable  and  as  fragmentary 
as  those  of  importations  to  this  country. 

But,  from  the  old  advertisements  in  the  very 
early  Virginia  papers,  we  know  that  this  horse 
called  Bulle  Rock,  by  the  Darley  Arabian,  first 
dam  by  Byerly  Turk,  was  owned  by  Samuel 
Patton  and  Samuel  Gist,  of  Virginia,  and  that  he 
was  spoken  of  in  the  small  prints  of  his  time  as 
being  a  horse  of  the  best  English  (or  Arabian) 
racing  family,  and  that  it  was  hoped  the  gentle- 
men of  Virginia  would  seek  opportunity,  through 
him,  of  improving  their  general  stock. 

There  is  no  way  of  establishing  the  fact  that 
previous  to  the  coming  of  Bulle  Rock  any  race- 


4  The  American  Thoroughbred 

horse  had  arrived  in  America.  It  is  possible,  of 
course,  that  some  of  the  early  exportations  made 
by  the  Virginia  Company  for  the  benefit  of  the 
colony  at  Jamestown  contained  race-horses  among 
them.  If  so,  no  records  were  ever  made  of  them. 
Old  histories  may  be  found  which  speak  of  horses 
being  sent  out  as  gifts  to  the  colonists,  but  so  far 
as  the  race-horse  is  concerned,  beyond  this  Bulle 
Rock  we  cannot  go. 

And  so,  looking  over  the  great  stock-farms  of 
the  America  of  to-day,  we  must  say  that  the  first 
of  these,  albeit  half  unknown,  dying  in  obscurity, 
and  held  up  to  but  light  fame  in  his  lifetime,  was 
this  undescribed  Bulle  Rock.  For  the  sake  of 
plain  history  one  would  like  to  know  what  man- 
ner of  horse  he  was,  —  whether  he  was  bay,  brown, 
gray,  or  chestnut ;  whether  he  was  small  horse  or 
large  ;  whether  his  disposition  was  gentle  or  fiery ; 
whether  he  was  good  of  wind  and  limb ;  and  all 
those  things  which  we  like  to  know  of  the  horses 
that  have  come  to  be  called  thoroughbred  and 
that  do  such  brilliant  and  admirable  things  under 
the  afternoon  suns  of  our  land  for  practically  every 
day  in  the  year. 

But  we  know  Bulle  Rock  only  as  a  name.  If  the 
pedigree  given  for  him  be  correct,  then  he  was 


Whence  the  American  Thoroughbred       5 

aristocratic  indeed.  Of  his  personality  there  is 
not  even  a  shadow.  He  is  to  us  now  only  the  first 
race-horse  to  come.  And  on  far  occasion  we  find 
in  an  old  pedigree,  at  its  very  American  remote- 
ness, "  This  horse  was  by  Bulle  Rock." 

The  first  race-horse  of  America  landed  on  Vir- 
ginia soil.  For  many,  many  years  thereafter  every 
race-horse  that  came  to  this  country  landed  at  the 
ports  of  Virginia  or  the  Carolinas.  Many  men, 
studying  the  histoiy  of  the  race-horse  of  America, 
have  wondered  that  he  should  have  been,  in  his 
importation,  so  purely  local,  — why  he  did  not  dis- 
embark in  old  Boston,  or  even  on  the  coast  of 
Maine,  or  at  the  Battery.  There  is  plain  reason 
for  that  in  the  types  of  the  men  who  were  coming 
from  other  lands  to  make  this  new  country  under 
a  new  flag.  The  masters  of  Virginia  and  of  the 
Carolinas  were  the  cavaliers  of  old  England. 
They  were  men  of  the  horse  and  the  sword  at 
home.  Long  military  training  had  taught  them 
that  a  man  well  horsed  had  his  battle  half  won. 
So  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  that, 
coming  to  the  conquest  of  a  new  land,  the  man 
who  had  been  swift-mounted  in  his  own  land  upon 
a  horse  capable  of  carrying  him  at  great  speed  and 
of  maintaining  such  speed  under  difficulties  for 


6  The  American  Thoroughbred 

a  great  length  of  time,  should  want  an  animal  of 
such  character  to  be  his  companion  in  the  new 
country.  The  cavalier  of  England  brought  the 
race-horse  to  America  and  for  fifty  years  after  his 
coming  maintained  the  existence  of  the  race-horse 
by  fresh  importations  and  by  crossing  upon  such 
selected  animals  of  native  breed  as  seemed  suited 
to  produce  the  race-horse  of  speed  or  the  saddle- 
horse  of  quality  and  endurance. 

New  York's  early  Dutch  were  not  horsemen. 
They  did  their  riding  at  home  upon  cumbersome 
animals  more  calculated  to  carry  great  burdens 
slowly  than  lighter  ones  with  vim  and  dash.  The 
Dutch  brought  horses  to  New  York,  but  they 
brought  the  ponderous  animal  of  burden  rather 
than  the  prancing  steed  that  might  carry  a  cava- 
lier and  his  caparisons  with  grace. 

The  Puritan  of  New  England  was  not  a  man 
for  horse-loving  nor  for  display.  Certainly  he 
was  not  the  man  in  whose  heart  the  race-horse 
could  have  honest  home.  He  was  sfiven  to  humil- 
ity  and  to  simple  drudgeries,  denying  himself  the 
indulgences  of  that  very  class  which  had  populated 
early  Virginia.  So  it  is  that  the  old  pictures  of 
the  Puritan  of  New  England  set  him  always  at 
his  going  and  coming  on  foot.      Ever  a  sturdy 


Whence  the  American  Thoroughbred        7 

man  and  ever  a  reliant  one,  he  did  for  himself  the 
duties  which  the  horse  was  supposed  to  share  with 
the  cavalier.  Your  Virginian  and  your  North 
Carolinian  and  your  Marylander  threaded  his  way 
through  the  early  forest  astride  his  horse.  He 
had  him  for  constant  companion  and  held  him 
as  being  scarcely  second  to  his  flint-lock  as  a 
protective  or  aggressive  agency. 

Beyond  all  this  utilitarian  suggestion  which 
caused  the  cavalier  to  bring  the  race-horse  with 
him  to  America,  there  was  the  sporting  instinct 
which  he  had  inherited  from  his  ancestor  at  home. 
For  although  the  thoroughbred  horse  had  not 
existed  for  such  a  great  number  of  years  before 
the  founding  of  the  colony  at  Jamestown,  there 
still  had  been  horse-racing  regularly  conducted  at 
Newmarket  Heath  in  England  since  the  time  of 
James  I.  There  had  been  sporting  monarchs 
of  old  England  long  before  the  Virginia  charter 
was  issued. 

So  it  came  that  the  race-horse  followed  the  cav- 
alier, and  he  became  the  attendant  of  the  labors 
as  well  as  the  pleasures  of  the  gentleman  in  this 
new  country  as  he  had  been  that  in  the  old.  Also, 
being  a  selected  animal  and  therefore  being  held 
at  more   than  ordinary  price,  the  race-horse  was 


8  The  American  Thoroughbred 

available  only  to  that  kind  of  man  who  enjoyed 
the  favors  of  fortune  in  his  own  country  and  could 
bring  with  him  to  the  new  one  that  equipment 
which  was  considered  necessary  in  the  entourage 
of  a  gentleman. 

From  the  time  of  the  landing  of  Bulle  Rock  to 
this  day,  when  we  find  associated  with  the  great 
jockey  clubs  of  the  country  some  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished names  to  which  this  country  has  given 
birth,  save  for  now  and  then  some  unfortunate 
period  when  his  association  was  unworthy,  we  find 
ever  the  gentleman  and  the  thoroughbred  as  com- 
panions. America  is  commercial,  and  there  be 
many  men  with  slight  claims  to  respectability 
who  may  own  a  race-horse  for  what  he  may  earn. 
Above  these  always,  when  our  turf  has  been  in 
healthy  life,  the  gentlemen  have  stood  and  domi- 
nated. 

In  a  previous  paragraph  reference  was  made 
to  the  crossing  of  the  English  thoroughbred 
upon  native  stock.  That  expression  "  native  "  is 
misleading.  There  is  no  native  horse  of  Amer- 
ica. There  is  no  evidence,  historic  or  prehis- 
toric, that  the  horse  ever  had  habitat  upon  this 
continent  previous  to  the  coming  of  the  white 
man.     Columbus  brought  horses  with  him  on  the 


Whence  the  American  Thoroughbred       9 

occasion  of  his  second  voyage  to  America,  in  1493, 
and  the  Indians  were  as  much  concerned  over  the 
animals  which  the  men  from  Columbus's  ships 
mounted  to  ride  over  the  land  as  they  were  at  the 
appearance  of  the  men  themselves.  When  he 
returned  to  Spain,  the  horses  which  Columbus 
had  brought  in  his  ships  remained.  They  were, 
presumably,  left  somewhere  in  the  Central  Ameri- 
can states. 

The  first  horse  to  be  landed  upon  what  we  now 
call  American  shores  was  brought  to  the  coast  of 
Florida  by  Cabeza  de  Vaca.  In  1527  this  com- 
mander landed  at  St.  Augustine,  Florida,  and  after 
some  exploration  there  turned  loose  his  band  of 
Spanish  animals.  There  was  the  genesis  of  the 
ordinary  horse  in  America. 

In  1609  a  stallion  and  six  mares  were  imported 
into  Virginia  from  England.  In  1625  a  few 
horses  were  brought  from  Holland  to  New 
Netherlands,  now  New  York.  In  1629  the  first 
equine  to  tread  the  soil  of  New  England  was 
landed  at  Boston,  from  England.  In  1678  the 
plains  of  Louisiana,  Texas,  Missouri,  and  Illinois 
were  peopled  with  great  bands  of  horses  descended 
from  those  landed  by  De  Vaca  and  from  wanderers 
of  the  Virginia  stock.     Bancroft's  History  of  the 


lo  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

United  States  says  that,  in  1656,  "the  horse  was 
multiplied  in  Virginia,  and  to  improve  that  noble 
animal  was  an  early  object  of  pride  favored  by 
legislation.  Speed  was  especially  valued. "  So 
when  native  stock  is  referred  to  in  this  way,  it 
may  be  considered  as  native  only  so  far  back  as 
that  time  when  the  Spaniards  were  landing  on 
the  lower  coast. 

Getting  back  from  the  general  horse  of  Amer- 
ica to  the  especial  type  which  is  the  subject  of 
this  article,  the  honor  of  having  bred,  reared,  and 
developed  a  type  of  race-horse  in  America  belongs 
to  Virginia  and  Carolina.  Almost  up  to  the 
time  of  the  Civil  War  Virginia  was  known  as  the 
race-horse  region  of  America,  and  the  expression 
"  Virginia  horse,"  from  Maine  to  Florida  and  as 
far  west  as  the  Mississippi  River,  was  taken  to 
mean  a  superior  animal. 

Virginia  furnished  the  first  thoroughbreds  from 
England,  and  by  judicious  crossing  of  the  get  of 
these  established  a  type  which  might  be  called 
truly  American,  and  Virginia  inaugurated  a  style 
and  kind  of  racing  which  from  its  continuance  in 
popularity  and  its  magnificence  in  contest  might 
be  called  the  American  type  of  racing. 

As   Virginia  was    the  mother  of   the  general 


Whence  the  American  Tboroughhred      ii 

race-horse  of  America,  she  was  also  the  mother  of 
the  "  four-milers."  Some  of  the  most  briUiant 
social  events  of  the  South  have  clustered  about 
the  four-mile  races.  While  there  were  contests 
at  four  miles  and  even  at  four  miles  and  repeat 
in  England,  such  events  were  not  considered  the 
true  test  of  merit  in  a  horse ;  and  that  kind  of 
racing  became  really  American,  since  for  seventy- 
five  years  the  four-mile-heat  horse  was  the  king 
of  his  day. 

The  ascendency  of  Virginia  on  the  turf  for 
many  years  was  decided.  It  could  not  have  been 
otherwise,  since,  beginning  with  Bulle  Rock,  fol- 
lowing closely  with  Dabster,  joining  then  with 
Jolly  Roger,  Janus,  and  Fearnought,  importing 
mares  of  equal  quality  with  these  stallions,  and 
continuing  to  import  as  each  gentleman  upon  his 
plantation  needed  a  stallion  to  replace  one  gone, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  Virginia  should  have  held 
her  place  as  the  first  thoroughbred  mother  of  this 
land.  As  it  has  been  said,  for  more  than  fifty 
years  all  the  best  thoroughbred  stallions  and  all 
the  best  thoroughbred  mares  in  America  were 
owned  on  the  plantations  that  lay  along  the  James 
and  the  Rappahannock  rivers  or  in  the  Carolinas. 

The  men  who  gave  their  energies  to  the  devel- 


12  The  American  Thoroughbred 

opment  of  the  Virginia  horse  were  the  best  men 
who  had  gone  to  form  the  early  colony.  It  is  a 
peculiar  but  interesting  fact  that  every  man  named 
as  a  member  of  the  original  King's  Council  of  the 
colony  of  Jamestown  is  somewhere  or  other  men- 
tioned in  the  American  Stud  Book  as  having 
owned  a  thoroughbred  stallion  or  brood  mare. 
You  may  look  at  all  the  personalities  which  went 
to  the  making  of  a  new  country  in  Virginia,  and 
you  will  not  be  able  to  find  one  whose  name  may 
not  be  duplicated  in  the  racing  records  of  the 
land. 

This  is  not  to  say  that  there  were  not  importa- 
tions of  thoroughbreds  to  other  parts  of  what  is 
now  the  United  States.  Lath  and  Wildair,  both 
horses  that  made  great  impress  upon  the  stock  of 
their  time,  were  imported  into  New  York  in  1 760 
to  1768  by  Mr.  De  Lancey.  Fair  Rachel  and 
the  "  Cub  Mare,"  both  yet  famous  in  American 
pedigrees,  found  their  way  to  America  by  way  of 
the  Battery.  Yet  these  in  time  went  to  Virginia 
to  join  their  relatives  who  had  come  by  that 
route  before  them. 

The  climate  and  soil  of  Virginia  seem  to  have 
given  themselves  so  handsomely  to  the  produc- 
tion of  a  high  type  of  race-horse  that  within  a 


Whence  the  American  Thoroughbred      13 

very  few  years  after  they  began  breeding,  the 
Virginians  had  estabhshed  such  a  class  among 
their  speed  animals  that  they  were  quite  willing 
to  take  a  Virginia-bred  horse  back  to  old  Eng- 
land and  try  conclusions  with  the  best  animals 
of  the  mother  country. 

Not  alone,  however,  were  the  Virginia  gentle- 
men in  their  desire  to  own  animals  of  high 
quality,  and  many  plantation-owners  from  the 
north,  the  south,  the  east,  and  the  west  travelled 
to  Virginia  and,  at  good  prices,  bought,  off  the 
plantations  about  the  James  and  the  Rappahan- 
nock, the  best  of  the  Virginia  blood.  An  early 
result  of  all  this  successful  breeding  in  Virginia 
was  to  distribute  among  her  sister  states  the 
produce  of  some  of  her  best  mares  from  the  old 
English  stock.  Though  Virginians  took  care  to 
retain  many  at  home,  yet  some  of  the  highest- 
bred  horses  found  their  way  to  distant  counties, 
and  the  mother  of  the  American  thoroughbred 
soon  found  herself  supplying  weapons  that  were 
destined  ultimately  to  give  her  signal  defeat. 
The  casting  of  this  bread  of  blood  upon  the 
waters  gave  her  disastrous  return  in  after  seasons. 

In  the  very  infancy  of  our  turf,  when  George 
III.    was   king.    South    Carolina   purchased   and 


14  The  American  Thoroughbred 

transferred  to  her  borders  many  Virginia  brood 
mares  got  by  the  noted  imported  horses  Fear- 
nought, Shadow,  Lofty,  Sentinel,  and  Janus. 
From  the  home  country  the  CaroHnians  brought 
stallions  to  mate  with  these  mares,  and  in  a  very 
brief  time  after  Virginia  had  established  herself 
as  the  home  of  the  thoroughbred.  South  Carolina 
had  at  least  placed  herself  as  a  fit  abiding-place 
for  the  same  splendid  tribe. 

The  first  interstate  racing  of  which  there  is  any 
record  in  this  country  was  between  the  turfmen 
of  Virginia  and  the  turfmen  of  South  Carolina. 
Almost  contemporaneous  with  South  Carolina, 
Maryland  had  begun  to  breed  and  race,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  the  aristocracy  of  Annapolis 
was  disputing  with  the  aristocracy  of  the  James 
the  ownership  of  the  fastest  and  stoutest  horses  in 
the  country. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE    FIRST    RACE    MEETINGS 

Regular  race  meetings  of  brief  duration  were 
given  in  Virginia  prior  to  the  defeat  of  General 
Braddock  in  1753.  The  first  actual  racing  organ- 
ization of  which  there  is  such  testimony  that  it 
can  be  accepted,  was  formed  at  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  February  19,  1760.  A  Mr.  Thomas 
Nightingale,  a  Yorkshireman  by  birth,  constructed 
a  course  and  built  a  club-house.  He  called  it  the 
Newmarket  Course,  and  upon  it  were  inaugurated 
certain  race  meetings  which  became  famous  affairs 
and  were  the  forerunners  of  almost  a  hundred 
years  of  regular  racing  in  the  old  Southern  state. 

In  Virginia  there  was  also  a  Newmarket,  and 
there  was  a  Tree  Hill  Course,  and  a  Broad  Rock 
Course,  and  a  Fairview.  All  these  were  recog- 
nized places  for  the  assembling  of  the  racing 
people,  and  were  at  times  the  centres  of  the  social 
life  of  Virginia. 

There  is  existent  record  of  the  acting  by  Gen- 


1 6  The  American  Thoroughbred 

eral  Washington  as  a  judge  at  one  of  these  New- 
market meetings  before  the  Revolutionary  War. 
At  the  same  time  there  was  in  operation  a  course 
at  Annapolis.  The  Church  had  even  given  rec- 
ognition to  racing  as  one  of  the  harmless  social 
delights  of  the  higher  class  of  Annapolis  people. 
Outside  Baltimore,  also,  existed  another  race- 
course which  had  no  name,  but  was  known  gen- 
erally as  the  Maryland  Course. 

There  do  not  exist  more  than  fragmentary 
records  of  the  doings  upon  any  of  these  tracks ; 
and  one  may  not,  with  any  degree  of  certainty, 
write  of  any  incident  upon  them  until  after  the 
period  of  the  Revolution.  By  the  time  the  first 
difficulty  with  England  occurred,  the  scientific 
breeding  of  the  race-horse  had  progressed  so  far 
that  in  all  of  the  wealthy  communities,  from 
Carolina  to  Long  Island,  there  were  breeding 
studs  where  the  very  best  type  of  animal  for  cav- 
alry purposes  existed.  Much  of  the  activity  of 
the  British  during  the  winter  months  was  given 
to  the  raiding  of  the  farms  in  an  effort  to  capture 
this  much-desired  property.  It  may  be  said  with 
truth,  however,  that  the  production  of  the  Ameri- 
can race-horse  had  become  a  fact  and  his  success- 
ful racing  a  public  entertainment  before  the  first 


The  First  Race  Meetings  17 

red-coated  invader  came  across  seas  to  learn  the 
little  lesson  of  '76. 

Immediately  subsequent  to  the  Revolution 
racing-stables  were  established  in  Virginia  and 
Maryland  as  well  as  in  South  Carolina.  It  was 
then  that  the  turf  began  to  have  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  Colonel  John  Tayloe  and  the  Messrs. 
Hoomes,  Selden,  and  Johnson,  in  Virginia.  In 
Maryland,  Governors  Ogle,  Ridgely,  Wright, 
Lloyd,  and  Sprigg  interested  themselves.  In  South 
Carolina,  Colonel  Washington,  General  Pinckney, 
General  Wade  Hampton,  William  Alston,  General 
M'Pherson,  Colonel  Mitchell,  and  other  distin- 
guished citizens  gave  themselves  to  the  ownership 
of  thoroughbreds. 

In  the  North,  racing  was  begun  on  Long  Island, 
but  at  that  time  the  names  associated  with  it  were 
obscure  and  the  sport  was  not  of  much  character. 
A  few  years  made  great  changes  in  the  Northern 
turf,  but  it  was  many,  many  seasons  before  it  ap- 
proached that  respectability  and  had  that  social 
stamp  which  characterized  it  in  the  states  of 
the  South. 

So,  although  we  can  trace  racing  back  to  the 
very  earliest  infancy  of  our  history,  the  turf  was 
not  conducted  on  a  systematic  plan  until  about 


1 8  The  American  Tborougbbred 

the  year  1815,  and  the  records  of  running  which 
took  place  prior  to  that  date  are  not  always 
authentic.  The  people  of  New  York,  like  those 
of  the  Southern  states,  indulged  in  the  sport  of 
racing  before  they  even  dreamed  of  going  to  war 
with  Great  Britain.  But  there  was  little  or  no 
organization,  and  the  result  of  each  contest  was 
not  officially  recorded. 

"  Frank  Forrester,"  the  first  American  author 
to  attempt  to  give  a  continued  history  of  the 
American  turf,  says:  "To  draw  a  parallel,  as 
nearly  as  I  can  draw  one,  I  regard  the  old  Vir- 
ginia turf  prior  to  the  fifteenth  year,  at  least,  of 
the  nineteenth  century  as  neither  more  nor  less 
authentic  than  that  of  England  up  to  the  time  of 
English  Eclipse.  From  the  day  when  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  imported  Diomed  and  imported 
Messenger  began  to  run  upon  the  turfs  of  Eng- 
land and  the  tracks  of  America,  all  is  plain  and 
on  record,  so  that  who  runs  may  read." 

"  Frank  Forrester,"  however,  had  not  at  the 
time  of  his  writing  all  the  facilities  for  following 
the  tale  which  are  now  preserved,  and  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  the  history  from  the  Revolution 
on  that  is  reasonably  straight  and  true. 

For     instance,    this     Newmarket    Course     at 


The  First  Race  Meetings  19 

Charleston  had  almost  a  continuous  existence 
from  its  creation  up  to  the  Revolutionary  War. 
After  the  Revolution,  regular  meetings  were  held 
there  up  to  1791. 

And  then,  in  that  year,  there  came  into  life  one 
of  the  most  brilliant  racing  organizations  which 
has  ever  been  known  in  this  country,  under  the 
name  of  the  South  Carolina  Jockey  Club.  It  is 
good  to  read  what  the  historians  of  South  Caro- 
lina have  to  say  of  this  time  when  the  little  New- 
market Course  had  for  its  successor  so  splendid 
an  establishment  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  as  the 
Jockey  Club.  Referring  to  it,  Dr.  Irving,  who 
was  secretary  of  the  club  for  upward  of  forty 
years,  speaks  of  the  Newmarket  days  with  love's 
labor,  in  these  delightful  terms :  — 

"  We  will  commence  with  the  proceedings  at 
the  New  Market  Course  at  Charleston,  S.C., 
season  of  1786;  and  here  it  may  be  remarked 
that  if  ever  there  was  '  a  golden  age  of  racing '  in 
South  Carolina,  or  rather,  if  ever  there  was  a 
period  destined  to  be  the  commencement  of  a 
new  era  in  the  annals  of  racing  in  this  state,  that 
period  is  the  one  to  which  we  are  now  referring. 

"Whether  we  consider  the  elevated  character 
of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Turf,  the  attraction  that 


20  The  American  Thoroughbred 

the  races  possessed  at  that  time,  and  for  many 
subsequent  years,  '  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
men '  —  youth  anticipating  its  delights  for  weeks 
beforehand — the  sternness  of  age  relaxing  by 
their  approach  —  lovers  becoming  more  ardent, 
and  young  damsels  setting  their  caps  with  greater 
taste  and  dexterity  —  the  quality  of  the  company 
in  attendance  —  the  splendid  equipages  —  the 
liveried  outriders  that  were  to  be  seen  daily  on 
the  course  —  the  gentlemen  attending  the  races 
in  fashionably  London-made  clothes  —  buckskin 
breeches  and  top  boots  —  the  universal  interest 
pervading  all  classes,  from  the  judge  upon  the 
bench  to  the  little  schoolboy  with  his  satchel  on 
his  back  —  the  kind  greetings  of  the  town  and 
country  —  the  happy  meetings  of  old  friends 
whose  residences  were  at  a  distance,  affording 
occasions  of  happy  intercourse  and  festivity  —  the 
marked  absence  of  all  care,  except  the  care  of  the 
horses  —  the  total  disregard  of  the  value  of  tifjze, 
except  by  the  competitors  in  the  races,  who  did 
their  best  to  save  and  economize  it  —  everything 
combined  to  render  race-week  in  Charleston 
emphatically  the  carnival  of  the  State,  when  it 
was  unpopular,  if  not  impossible,  to  be  out  of 
spirits,  and  not  to  mingle  with  the  gay  throng. 


■  The  First  Race  Meetings  21 

"  The  best  idea  we  can  give  of  the  moral  mjlu- 
e7ice  of  race-week  (as  exerted  formerly)  is  to  state 
that  the  courts  of  justice  used  daily  to  adjourn, 
and  all  the  schools  were  regularly  let  otit,  as  the 
hour  for  starting  the  horses  drew  near ;  with  one 
consent  the  stores  in  Broad  and  King  streets  were 
closed  —  all  business  being  suspended  on  the  joy- 
ous occasion,  the  feelings  of  the  good  people  par- 
taking of  the  rapidity  of  the  races  themselves  — 
in  fact,  it  was  no  uncommon  sight  to  see  the  most 
venerable  and  distinguished  dignitaries  of  the 
land,  clergymen  and  judges,  side  by  side  on  the 
course,  taking  a  deep  interest  in  the  animated  and 
animating  scene  around  them  ! 

"  With  such  a  stimulus  to  propriety  and  the 
preservation  of  good  morals,  no  wonder  that 
order,  and  sobriety,  and  good  fellowship  prevailed 
as  abundantly  as  they  did  in  those  days. 

"  We  must  not  omit  to  notice,  that  in  the  early 
days  of  racing  in  South  Carolina,  the  gentlemen 
of  the  Turf,  like  the  ancient  nobles  Hiero  and 
others,  never  ran  their  horses  for  the  pecuniary 
value  of  the  prize  to  be  won,  but  solely  for  the 
ho7ior  that  a  horse  of  their  own  breeding  and 
training  should  distinguish  himself.  Mr.  Daniel 
Ravenel   and    many   others    of  the    high-minded 


22  The  American  Thoroughbred 

turfmen  of  those  days,  expressed  great  disappro- 
bation at  any  departure  from  the  good  old  cus- 
toms of  their  fathers,  and  did  all  in  their  power 
to  prevent  a  change,  when  it  was  proposed.  The 
prize  used  to  be,  not  a  purse  of  gold  or  silver, 
but  a  piece  of  plate.  Several  of  these  tokens 
of  success  are  in  the  possession  of  the  descend- 
ants of  those  who  formerly  owned  race-horses  in 
the  State. 

"  Such  were  the  races  in  South  Carolina ! 
Let  us  hope,  then,  that  we  of  the  present  genera- 
tion will  never  feel  less  attachment  than  our  fathers 
did,  to  the  sports  of  the  Turf;  and  that,  what- 
ever other  changes  may  occur  in  our  State,  no 
change  will  ever  take  place  in  the  celebrity  of 
our  horses ;  that  the  animating  spirit  of  the  chase 
will,  in  all  time  to  come,  continue  to  call  our 
youth  to  the  woods,  and  the  rational  amusement 
of  the  course,  our  sportsmen  to  the  Turf !  " 

After  the  Revolution  racing  was  revived  in 
South  Carolina  in  1786.  During  that  and  the 
following  season,  however,  only  a  few  gentlemen 
trained  their  own  horses  and  those  of  their  friends 
that  were  thought  to  give  any  great  promise. 
Hence  the  number  of  horses  trained  was  few,  and 
not  many  races  were  run  in  public.     A  gray  horse, 


The  First  Race  Meetings  23 

called  Ranger,  the  property  of  Colonel  Wash- 
ington, seems  to  have  been  the  cock  of  the  walk 
in  the  state,  winning  all  the  principal  events, 
until  beaten  by  the  celebrated  Comet  in  1788, 
carrying  140  pounds,  four-mile  heats,  over  the 
Newmarket  Course  (the  exact  location  of  which 
has  already  been  described)  near  Charleston.  It 
must  have  been  a  fine  race  and  a  very  sporting 
affair,  according  to  tradition. 

Comet  was  a  black  horse  by  Mark  Anthony, 
bred  by  Mr.  Nash,  in  North  Carolina.  He  was 
a  wonderfully  great  little  horse,  very  small,  only 
fourteen  hands  and  a  half  high  —  some  accounts 
say  only  fourteen  hands.  He  was  a  black,  with 
blaze  face,  and  had  eyes  in  which  the  iris  was  of 
a  very  light  gray  color,  and  all  his  legs  were 
white  to  the  knees  —  he  ran  with  his  hind  legs 
very  much  apart,  but  he  could  run  all  day. 
He  was  a  winner  from  Petersburg  to  Charleston. 
He  was  first  brought  to  South  Carolina  by  Mr. 
Twining.  Comet  was  sometimes  entered  by 
Colonel  Alston  and  sometimes  by  General 
Hampton. 

Ranger  was  a  descendant  of  an  imported  horse 
by  the  same  name  (got  by  Martindale's  Regulus, 
a  son  of  the  Godolphin  Arabian),  imported  into 


24  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Maryland  about  the  year  1767,  by  Dr.  Thomas 
Hamilton,  of  Prince  George's  County. 

Mark  Anthony,  the  sire  of  Comet,  was  the 
rival  and  successor  of  Janus  in  the  southern  part 
of  Virginia,  and  along  the  northern  border  of 
North  Carolina.  He  was  an  American-bred 
horse  foaled  on  the  banks  of  the  James  River, 
the  property  of  Mr.  Lee.  He  was  got  by  Part- 
ner, out  of  a  fine  imported  mare.  Like  his  son 
Comet,  he  was  almost  black  —  his  two  hind  feet 
white,  and  was  a  little  over  fifteen  hands  high. 
It  is  recorded  of  him  that  he  was  excellent  as  a 
race-horse  in  Virginia,  and  stood  many  years  in 
that  state  and  in  North  Carolina.  He  became, 
in  his  later  days,  the  property  of  Mr.  Peter 
Morgan,  of  Halifax,  in  whose  possession  he  died, 
about  1794. 

In  this  early  time  of  racing  at  the  Newmarket 
Course,  the  champion  of  the  day  seems  to  have 
been  a  mare  called  Betsey  Baker,  belonging  to 
Colonel  Alston.  She  was  a  chestnut  mare  bred 
by  Mr.  Wiley  Jones  of  North  Carolina.  She  was 
by  old  Flimnap,  and,  like  most  of  his  get,  was 
remarkably  handsome.  She  was  small  and 
delicate. 

Chief    rival    to  her  was  another  mare,  also    a 


The  First  Race  Meetings  25 

chestnut,  called  Rosetta,  by  imported  Centinel. 
The  latter  belonged  to  Colonel  William  Wash- 
ington. Rosetta  was  nearly  sixteen  hands  high, 
with  a  prodigious  shoulder.  There  was  a  strik- 
ing unhkeness  in  these  two  mares  that  were,  in 
1 79 1,  the  figures  of  the  turf  of  South  Carolina. 
They  met  with  frequency,  running  against  each 
other  with  alternate  success.  Both  were  retired 
to  the  breeding  ranks  after  their  turf  perform- 
ances, but  neither  produced  anything  to  carry 
on  her  distinguished  name. 

A  gentleman,  writing  fifty  years  ago  of  these 
two  then  queens  of  an  exceedingly  young  turf, 
said  of  Betsey  Baker :  *'  I  was  quite  young  when 
I  witnessed  their  races,  but  I  recollect  the  enthu- 
siasm which  prevailed  on  those  occasions.  I 
remember  meeting  Betsey  Baker  at  the  corner 
of  Friend  and  Tradd  streets  on  her  return  to 
Colonel  Alston's  stables  in  King  Street  after 
having  beaten  Rosetta  in  1791 — a  great  crowd 
following  her." 

This  was  the  last  year  of  the  races  over  the 
Newmarket  Course.  In  the  following  year  it  was 
that  the  South  Carolina  Jockey  Club,  which  had 
taken  over  the  Newmarket  track,  moved  to  the 
Washington  Course,  where  it  held  its  race  meet- 


26  The  American  Thoroughbred 

ings  until  the  Civil  War  put  an  end  to  its 
grandeur. 

And  this  seems  fitting  time  and  place  to  tell 
those  persons  who  imagine  that  racing  has  al- 
ways been  the  pastime  of  the  low  and  the  sus- 
pects of  humanity,  what  a  sport  it  was  in  that 
splendid  Southern  day  when  the  aristocracy  of 
the  country  gave  themselves  to  it  for  their  chief 
pleasure,  not  as  their  occupation.  From  this 
same  gentleman,  Dr.  Irving,  we  quote  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  meeting  under  the  auspices  of  the 
South  Carolina  Jockey  Club,  that  some  idea 
may  be  had,  not  only  of  the  enthusiasm  attend- 
ing upon  the  exercises,  but  to  give  an  idea  of 
the  quality  of  the  people  who  presented  them- 
selves for  the  enjoyment  of  a  racing  day:  — 

"  Respectable  strangers  from  abroad,  or  from 
other  States,  are  never  allowed  to  pay  for  admis- 
sion to  any  of  the  Stands  on  the  Course.  On 
their  arrival  they  are  immediately  considered 
guests,  and  provided  with  tickets  and  a  ribbon 
\^\\\(z\\  frank  them  everywhere,  entitling  them  to 
the  hospitalities  of  the  club  during  the  whole 
meeting. 

"  The  arrangements  on  the  Course  are  such  as 
to  insure   good   order  and  etiquette;  refinement 


The  First  Race  Meetings  27 

and  high  breeding  characterizing  those  who  pre- 
fer lingering  about  the  Grand  Stand,  whilst  those 
who  wish  to  diversify  the  scene,  and  witness  life 
in  other  phases,  can  seek  it  in  other  parts  of  the 
Course,  at  the  booths,  where  ample  preparations 
are  always  made,  by  the  different  proprietors 
of  these  restaurants,  to  minister,  in  every  con- 
ceivable way,  to  the  tastes  of  the  votaries  of 
fun  and  frolic,  and  to  those  also  who  require,  in 
a  long  day,  to  have  their  inner  man  regaled 
from  time  to  time.  We  must  not  omit  to 
mention  that,  at  considerable  expense,  the  Club 
put  up  a  Citizens'  Stand,  opened  to  2i\\,  gratis  — 
the  second  story  arranged  with  rows  of  seats, 
one  above  the  other;  the  lower  floor  divided 
off  into  different  compartments,  some  com- 
modiously  and  conveniently  arranged  for  the 
accommodation  of  small  or  large  parties,  and 
fitted  up  in  good  taste.  Many  of  these  refresh- 
ment rooms  are  superintended  by  well-known 
habitues  of  the  locale,  well  experienced  in  such 
undertakings,  and  to  cater  to  the  tastes  and 
appetites  of  the  most  fastidious. 

"  In  addition  to  the  courtesy  manifested  to  the 
public  by  the  Club,  in  providing  a  Citizens'  Stand, 
the  Club  purchased  and  owns  a  large  farm  adjoin- 


28  The  American  Thoroughbred 

ing  the  Course,  which  is  arranged  with  stables, 
to  accommodate  in  the  most  convenient  and  eco- 
nomical manner  all  who  visit  Charleston  with 
horses  from  distant  States. 

"  The  Races  over  our  Course  are  well  patron- 
ized, season  after  season,  by  owners  of  some  of  the 
best  stock  on  the  American  Turf;  likewise  many 
lovers  of  the  sport,  'for  itself  alone,'  never  fail, 
from  year  to  year,  to  put  in  an  appearance  from 
distant  points,  as  ^/le  days  of  promise  come  round. 
The  proximity  of  our  Race  Ground,  too,  to  the 
city  —  (in  fact,  it  is  now  a  portion  of  the  city  itself, 
by  a  late  annexation  bill)  —  offers  great  tempta- 
tions and  facilities  to  all  of  our  own  good  people 
disposed  to  participate  in  the  sport,  to  go  out 
whenever  the  weather  is  at  all  inviting.  From 
these  circumstances,  and  the  numberless  agremens 
incident  to  our  meetings,  the  Races  are  generally 
well  attended,  having  a  charm  for  many  others 
besides  those  who  are  altogether  absorbed  in  the 
appearance  and  performances  of  the  horses. 

"  The  Races  commence  on  the  first  Wednesday 
in  February  of  every  year,  and  continue  through- 
out the  week. 


This  book  the  property  oT 
Edward  J.  Stieglitz,  M.  D, 

Chicago 


The  First  Race  Meetings  29 

"  First  Day 
Wednesday,  4  mile  heats,  Jockey  Club  Purse     .         .     $  1,000 
Same  day,  Hutchinson  Stakes,  mile  heats,  $  200  given 
by  the  Club,  with  forfeits  averaging  an  amount  for 
the  winner  of 1,400 

Second  Day 

Thursday,  3  mile  heats,  Jockey  Club  Purse         .         .  750 

Same  day,  Carolina  Stakes,  mile  heats,  $  500  given  by 
the  Club,  with  forfeits  averaging  an  amount  for 
the  winner  of 700 

Third  Day 
Friday,  2  mile  heats,  Jockey  Club  Purse    .         .         .  500 

Same  day,  Hutchinson  Stakes,  2  mile  heats,  %  500 
added  by  the  Club,  with  forfeits  averaging  a  sum 
for  the  winner  of 2,000 

Fourth  Day 
Saturday,  Handicap,  3  mile  heats.  Jockey  Club  Purse  600 

Same  day,  single  heat  of  3  miles,  Jockey  Club  Purse  .  300 

^7,250 

*'  Besides  the  above  sums,  there  is  frequently  a 
purse  given  by  the  citizens  of  Charleston,  $1,000 
and  upwards,  which,  if  added  to  the  regular  Jockey 
Club  Purses,  as  set  down  above,  will,  without  any 
private  ventures,  inside  stakes,  etc.,  swell  the  sum 
total  of  the  good  things  that  are  within  the  reach 
of  the  different  stables  attending  the  Charleston 


30  The  American  Tborotigbhred 

Races,  to  upwards  of  EIGHT  THOUSAND 
DOLLARS! 

"  To  give  additional  eclat  to  the  Charleston 
Races,  and  to  further  the  prosperity  of  the  Club, 
Mr.  Tattersall,  of  Hyde  Park  Corner,  London, 
presented,  in  1837,  to  the  South  Carolina  Jockey 
Club,  a  whip,  to  be  run  for  annually,  upon  the 
principle  which  governs  the  Whip  in  England. 
It  was  accepted  by  the  Club  in  the  same  spirit  in 
which  it  was  tendered,  and,  in  compliment  to  the 
donor,  it  was  denominated  '  The  Tattersall  Whip' 
Mr.  Tattersall  was  at  the  same  time  unanimously 
elected  an  honorary  member  of  the  Club.  Colonel 
Hampton  won  this  whip  with  his  imported  colt 
Monarch,  by  Priam,  out  of  Delphine.  It  has  since 
remained  in  the  possession  of  that  gentleman,  un- 
challenged." 

And  here  was  a  typical  contest  of  these  mag- 
nificent days  on  the  Southern  turf:  — 

"  Same  day  —  Second  race.  —  A  single  heat  of  3  miles.  —  Jockey 

Club  Purse,  %  200,  weight  for  age. 
O.  P.  Hare's  b.  f.  3  yrs.,  by  Willis,  out  of  Mary  Lea    .         .     i 
W.  H.  Skinner's  br.  g.  3  yrs.,  by  Monarch ;  dam  imp'd,  by 

Glaucus 2 

James  Tally's  eh.  c.  Tally-Ho,  3  yrs.,  by  Boston,  dam  by 

Tom  Tough 3 

Time  —  5  minutes  49  seconds. 


The  First  Race  Meetings  31 

"  This  was  one  of  those  races  we  like  to  see,  and 
take  much  dehght  in  reporting  —  it  was  certainly 
a  magnificent  race,  every  inch  closely  contested  — 
and  we  venture  to  say,  no  one  could  have  seen  it 
without  feeling  an  interest  in  it.  The  uncertainty, 
the  vicissitudes,  the  changes  that  marked  it  from 
the  first  jump  up  to  the  throbbing  anxiety  of  the 
final  struggle,  created  a  concentration  of  interest 
that  could  not  fail  to  awaken  a  pleasurable  excite- 
ment, even  in  the  coldest  bosom.  We  cannot 
think  of  passing  over  such  an  event  without  as 
particular  a  notice  of  it  as  our  leisure  will  permit, 
and  our  fancy  prompt. 

"  The  jockeys  mounted  and  took  their  places. 
The  word  was  given.  The  horses,  as  if  endued 
with  intelligence,  and  an  instinctive  desire  for  fair 
play,  dashed  forward  at  the  very  same  instant. 
It  was  a  beautiful  and  exciting  sight  to  see  those 
fleet  and  impetuous  horses,  giving  themselves  up 
to  the  excitement  of  the  occasion  with  a  sort  of 
personal  relish,  carried  away  by  their  own  ardor. 
They  roused  of  their  own  free  will  and  accord 
into  a  wild  and  intoxicating  gallop,  as  if  they  were 
really  of  themselves  taking  all  the  pleasure  in  the 
race,  they  were  affording  to  the  spectators.  Like 
roses  on  the  same  stem  shaking  in  the  wind,  they 


32  The  American  Thoroughbred 

hung  together  with  unabating  energy,  and  at  a  rat- 
tling pace.  One  moved  with  a  strong  and  steady 
stride,  whilst  the  other  two,  light  and  agile  as 
fawns,  bounded  along  without  an  apparent  effort. 
It  was  impossible  to  predict  what  the  result  would 
be.  As  they  passed  under  the  string  and  com- 
menced the  last  mile,  their  riders  leaned  a  little 
forward,  and  gathered  up  their  reins  with  a  closer 
and  stronger  grasp  —  not  to  check  the  speed  of 
their  coursers,  but  evidently  to  obtain  additional 
power  to  brace  and  steady  the  good  animals  they 
strode,  knowing  the  great  struggle  was  soon  to 
come,  and  that  they  would  have  to  hurry  them 
on  still  faster  and  faster  if  possible,  by  the  aid  of 
whip  and  spur !  All  three  jockeys  seemed  now,  by 
simultaneous  impulse,  to  buiy  their  spurs  at  the 
same  moment  in  their  horses'  flanks.  Thus 
goaded,  the  excited  animals  darted  forward  with 
a  more  furious  speed  —  a  magnificent  struggle 
commenced  —  they  flew  along  the  back  stretch, 
like  swallows  on  the  wing,  past  the  gates ;  then, 
in  as  little  time  as  it  takes  us  to  indite  it,  rushed 
round  into  the  straight  home  run,  like  arrows,  shot 
"  '  From  some  hunter's  strong,  unerring  bow,' 

flying  so  straight,  and  true  to  the  mark,  and  with 
such  velocity,  as  to  be  almost  in  their  rapid  flight, 


The  First  Race  Meetings  33 

for  a  time  as  undistinguishable  in  form  and  color, 
as  the  viewless  spirits  of  the  air  through  which 
they  were  passing,  and  with  which,  it  took  no  great 
stretch  of  a  poet's  fancy  to  imagine,  they  were 
joyfully  gambolling.  A  deep  and  strange  silence 
brooded  over  the  crowd.  Every  eye  was  intently 
fixed  upon  the  competitors,  as  with  flanks  smok- 
ing, eyes  dilated,  nostrils  heaving,  with  sinews  of 
steel  they  reached  the  winning  chair.  Anxiety 
seemed  to  have  deprived  the  spectators  of  their 
breath,  until  the  goal  was  past,  and  the  victory 
won.  Then  a  long  shout,  or  rather  a  loud 
murmur  of  admiration,  escaped  from  the  lips  of 
all  those,  whose  hearts,  a  moment  before,  were  too 
full  for  words ;  and  who,  even  then,  when  the  race 
was  over,  from  witnessing  the  changes  and  doubt- 
ful vicissitudes  of  this  truly  beautiful  contest,  were 
a  little  bewildered,  beside  themselves  with  delight 
—  a  sort  of  cloud,  hoverins:,  as  it  were,  before 
their  mental  vision,  rendering  them  uncertain  for 
a  time  whether  the  animated  scene  around  them, 
the  exciting  race,  the  moving  figures,  had  been 
real  all,  or  only  one  of  those  pictured  illusions  in 
some  wonderful  phantasmagoria,  which  are  seen, 
sometimes  conjured  up  by  necromantic  art, 
neither  a  reality  nor  yet  a  dream ! 


34  The  American  Thoroughbred 

"  This  race  was  a  magnificent  wind  up,  indeed, 
to  the  sports  of  the  week,  and  proves  the  good 
judgment  of  the  Club  in  terminating  our  Races 
with  a  description  of  race  that  must  always  insure, 
when  the  horses  are  at  all  equal,  excellent  sport. 
Being  but  a  single  heat,  there  can  be  no  waiting 
for  chances,  but  every  one  must  make  play  ab 
tjiitio,  if  he  wishes  to  console  himself  at  the  finish 
with  the  agreeable  reflection,  that  Fmis  coronat 
opusr 

One  might  go  on  writing  for  an  interminable 
number  of  pages  anent  this  one  racing  association 
alone.  Conceived  entirely  as  a  social  institution, 
conducted  purely  for  love  of  sport  and  as  an  out- 
door affair  calculated  to  bring  together  the  best- 
bred  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  South,  as  well 
as  the  best-bred  horses  of  that  district,  it  is  not 
a  matter  of  wonder  that  the  South  Carolinians, 
so  stricken  by  the  war  of  1861-65,  had  neither 
heart  in  them,  nor  purses  sufficiently  well  filled,  to 
renew  the  old  graces  of  the  time  that  had  gone, 
and  never  again  have  those  gladsome  days  been 
seen  down  there  in  the  old  Southern  city. 

But  they  did  make  turf  history,  and  such  early 
and  such  elegant  history!  They  were  also  of  the 
kind  who  preserved  the  records  of  their  doings, 


The  First  Race  Meetings  35 

and  from  the  very  first  race  which  was  run  over 
the  Newmarket  Course,  on  the  nineteenth  day  of 
February,  1760,  absolute  knowledge  can  be  had, 
not  only  of  all  the  races  run  in  or  near  Charleston, 
but  of  those  run  at  other  courses  in  the  old  state  of 
South  Carolina  previous  to  1760.  Over  the  York 
Course,  which  was  situated  on  Charleston  Neck, 
there  had  been  a  number  of  matches  run,  and  in 
the  South  Carolina  Gazette  of  February  i,  1734, 
there  is  an  extensive  account  of  the  running  of 
a  race  by  unnamed  horses  over  this  Neck  Course 
for  the  prize  of  a  saddle  and  bridle  valued  at  £20. 
The  race  was  run  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  Febru- 
ary, 1734,  mile  heats,  four  entries.  The  horses 
carried  10  stone  (140  pounds),  white  riders. 
This  last  was  one  of  the  stipulations  of  the  race. 
So,  as  far  as  any  history  goes,  this  affair  at  mile 
heats,  with  140  pounds  and  white  riders  up,  was  the 
first  event  ever  run  in  Carolina,  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  many  races  of  real  thoroughbred  character 
had  occurred  in  this  country  before  that.  A  kind 
of  sport  which  came  to  be  known  as  quarter-rac- 
ing had  been  indulged  in  between  the  Virginians 
and  the  Carolinians  along  the  borders  of  those 
two  states  for  many  previous  years.  But  they 
were  match  affairs  between  horses  whose  speed 


36  The  American  Tborougbbred 

and  endurance  were  limited  to  a  high  flash  of 
galloping  at  an  extremely  short  distance,  and  were 
of  the  type  and  kind  of  equine  contest  which  has 
never  had  recognition  as  real  racing. 

The  utmost  research  has  developed  that  the 
first  thoroughbred,  or  more  strictly  speaking,  rac- 
ing, horse  that  came  to  America  was  this  Bulle 
Rock  in  1730.  And  yet,  so  busy  did  the  Carolin- 
ians make  themselves  with  the  sports  of  the  turf 
that  they  were  running  these  races  on  Charleston 
Neck  in  the  golden  afternoons  of  1734.  And  you 
may  be  quite  sure  that  the  stock  starting  in  that 
first  authenticated  race,  of  which  the  Charles- 
ton Gazette  made  proper  report,  were  not  dung- 
hills, because,  in  all  of  the  long  story  of  the  horses 
which  have  made  the  turf,  the  dunghill  has  not 
run  at  mile  heats  with  credit  to  himself.  Any  of 
the  old  Virginian  or  Carolinian  quarter  horses 
would  have  had  an  easy  journey  to  have  beaten  a 
cold-blooded  dunghill  even  at  mile  heats. 


CHAPTER   III 

EARLY    OWNERS    WERE    GENTLEMEN 

As  a  second  congratulation  on  the  character 
of  the  genesis  of  the  turf  in  America  are  the 
names  and  personahties  of  those  distinguished 
gentlemen  who  gave  themselves  to  the  support 
and  participation  in  the  affairs  of  the  turf.  To 
him  who  loves  the  traditions  of  the  sport,  whether 
in  this  land  or  in  foreign  climes,  it  would  be 
pleasant  to  know  that  from  the  time  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Charleston  Jockey  Club  and 
the  taking  possession  of  the  Washington  Course, 
the  men  who  controlled  the  sport  and  who  took 
a  leading  part  in  its  conduct  were  the  highest 
men  of  their  times.  They  were  to  the  human 
kind  the  thoroughbreds  which  their  horses  were 
to  the  equine  race.  They  were  the  men  who 
made  colonial  history  and  the  men  who  have 
left  behind  them  families  of  the  most  distin- 
guished character.  Josiah  Quincy,  visiting 
Charleston  in  1773,  made  these  observations  in 
his  famous  published  Journal: — 


38  The  American  Tborougbbred 

"  March  3d.  Spent  this  day  in  viewing  horses, 
riding  over  the  town,  and  receiving  complimen- 
tary visits. 

"March  i6th.  Spent  the  morning,  ever  since 
five  o'clock,  perusing  public  records  of  the 
province,  etc.,  and  am  now  going  to  the  famous 
races. 

"  The  races  were  well  performed,  but  Flimnap 
beat  Little  David,  who  had  won  the  last  sixteen 
races  out  and  out.  The  last  heat  the  former 
distanced  the  latter.  The  first  heat  was  per- 
formed in  8.17,  being  four  miles.  Two  thou- 
sand pounds  were  won  and  lost  at  this  race,  and 
Flimnap  sold  at  public  vendue  the  same  day 
fo^  ;^300  sterling.  At  the  races  I  saw  a  fine 
collection  of  excellent,  though  very  high-priced 
horses,  and  was  let  a  little  into  the  singular  art 
and  mystery  of  the  turf." 

In  other  connections  Mr.  Quincy  spoke  of 
the  men  whom  he  met  in  South  Carolina,  they 
being  the  men  of  the  times,  and  his  hosts  on 
the  occasion  of  his  visit  to  the  race-course. 
It  is  almost  like  a  page  out  of  the  strong, 
manly  history  of  the  Carolina  colonies  to  read 
a  list  of  the  names  of  the  original  proprie- 
tors   and    owners    of    the    Washington    Race- 


AUGUST    BELMONT 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  39 

course.  They  were  General  C.  C.  Pinckney, 
General  Washington,  O'Brien  Smith,  John  Wil- 
son, James  Ladson,  William  Alston,  H.  M. 
Rutledge,  Gabriel  Manigault,  General  Reed, 
Colonel  Mitchell,  General  Wade  Hampton,  Dr. 
Moultrie,  James  Burn,  Captain  White,  Lucius 
Campbell,  William  Moultrie,  General  M'Pherson, 
Colonel  M'Pherson,  Colonel  Morris,  Edward  Fen- 
wicke,  and  William  McCleod. 

These  were  the  men  who  fathered  the  first 
organized  racing  in  America  and  to  whom  the 
credit  may  be  given  for  maintaining  during  its 
lifetime  such  a  high  character  of  sport  that  it 
has  never  been  surpassed  in  this  country,  and, 
for  the  social  phases  of  racing,  probably  never 
will  be.  At  the  time  of  the  glory  of  this  par- 
ticular institution  the  social  life  of  the  Atlantic 
seaboard,  from  Baltimore  to  the  distant  coast 
towns  of  Florida,  was  affected.  The  Charles- 
ton Races  were  as  much  an  institution  as  the 
Inaugural  Ball  at  Washington,  and  the  pride  of 
attendance  upon  them  was  quite  as  great. 

With  Virginia  and  Maryland  furnishing  their 
aristocrats  upon  their  own  turfs,  the  reader  can 
know  that  if,  in  this  day  and  time,  he  is  giving 
his  affections  to  the  sport  of  the  thoroughbred, 


40  The  American  Tbowugbbred 

he  is  at  least  following  in  his  passions  the  foot- 
steps of  some  of  the  ablest  and  brightest  men 
who  ever  laughed  in  its  pleasures  or  were  brave 
in  the  storms  of  American  life. 

The  history  of  the  owners  who  raced  in  South 
Carolina  is  also  the  story  of  the  advance  of  the 
thoroughbred  horse  to  his  secure  position  of  pop- 
ularity in  this  country.  It  was  but  a  short  time 
after  the  Revolution,  when,  so  far  as  the  Southern 
country  was  concerned,  racing  was  upon  a  firm 
footing  and  the  breeding  of  horses  exclusively  for 
the  turf  had  become  the  pastime  of  the  gentlemen 
of  the  land. 

One  of  the  greatest  of  the  South  Carolina 
breeders  was  Colonel  William  Alston,  of  Wac- 
camaw.  Among  his  most  distinguished  and 
popular  mares  from  which  he  bred  was  "  the  Brill- 
iant Mare,"  bred  by  his  friend  and  neighbor, 
Mr.  Fenwicke,  and  got  by  the  imported  English 
horse  Matchem,  out  of  a  mare  by  Brilliant.  An- 
other noted  breeding  animal  was  the  Tartar 
Mare  by  old  Flimnap  out  of  a  mare  by  old 
Faro.  He  owned  altogether  some  twenty  thor- 
oughbred mares,  including  among  them  that 
remarkable  racing  mare,  Betsey  Baker.  The 
racing   animals   which    he    got    from    these,    by 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  41 

mating  them  with  thoroughbred  stallions  im- 
ported from  England,  and  from  thoroughbreds 
brought  down  from  the  Virginia  stock,  produced 
a  great  number  of  the  best  race-horses  of  the 
Southern  turf. 

Perhaps  the  best  animal  which  Colonel  Alston 
ever  owned,  and  certainly  the  one  to  which  he 
was  most  partial,  was  a  gray  mare  called  Alborac. 
One  day  in  ^j^j  she  gave  a  beating  to  Tele- 
graph, the  favorite  horse  of  Colonel  William 
Washington.  Colonel  Alston  was  so  elated 
over  the  victory  that  he  turned  to  the  latter 
gentleman  and  said,  in  a  tone  of  friendly  badi- 
nage, "  Washington,  what  should  you  think  of 
a  mare  that,  like  her  namesake,  the  horse  of  the 
Prophet,  can  run  in  one  night  from  earth  to 
heaven .? "  Colonel  Washington  smilingly  re- 
plied, "Just  tell  me  the  distance,  sir,  and  then 
I'll  give  you  an  opinion  as  to  what  I  think  of  the 
performance." 

Gallatin,  a  chestnut  horse  foaled  in  1799,  by 
Bedford,  out  of  Mambrina  by  Mambrino,  was  an- 
other of  Colonel  Alston's  favorites,  and  he  cer- 
tainly justified  his  distinguished  owner's  regard, 
for  his  successes  on  the  South  Carolina  turf  had 
no    precedent.       He    defeated    everything    when 


42  Tbe  American  Tboroiigbbred 

in  his  prime  and  was  considered  the  highest  class 
animal  racing  south  of  the  Rappahannock. 
Colonel  Alston  paid  $4000  for  him,  at  that  time 
a  very  high  price,  and  he  always  spoke  of  him 
as  the  cheapest  horse  he  ever  owned. 

In  1803,  over  the  Washington  Course,  for  the 
Jockey  Club  Purse,  three-mile  heats,  then  only 
three  years  old,  and  carrying  92  pounds,  he 
beat  Mr.  Singleton's  mare  Dorocles,  Captain 
Fields's  Belle  Rattle,  Mr.  Clifton's  Republican, 
Colonel  Washington's  Achilles,  Mr.  Bellinger's 
Miss  Tims,  and  Mr.  Seabrook's  Furiosus  Celscis. 
Gallatin  won  the  first  heat  in  5  minutes  57 
seconds,  and  the  second  heat  in  5  minutes  53 
seconds,  distancing  the  field.  Bets  at  starting 
were  three  to  one  in  favor  of  Gallatin. 

On  Saturday  of  the  same  week  he  won  the 
Handicap  Race,  three-mile  heats,  beating  an- 
other uncommonly  strong  field ;  viz.  General 
M'Pherson's  celebrated  race  mare  Roxana,  by 
Marplot,  General  Washington's  Ariac^ne  by 
Bedford,  Captain  Fields's  Belle  Rattle  and  his 
beautiful  colt  Buonaparte,  and  Mr.  M'Pherson's 
Leviathan.  Although  the  course  was  very 
muddy,  owing  to  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  on  the 
morning   of    the    race,    Gallatin    won    the    first 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  43 

heat    in    5  minutes  52   seconds,  and  the   second 
in  6  minutes. 

This  race  was  a  very  great  triumph  for  a  three- 
year-old  to  achieve.  Every  horse  entered  was 
well  known  to  fame.  Buonaparte  was  a  very 
promising  colt.  It  was  claimed  for  him  by  some 
of  his  admirers  that  he  was  the  handsomest  horse 
of  his  time,  with  the  exception  of  imported  Rowton. 

1804.  —  Washington  Course,  February  15, 
Wednesday,  four-mile  heats,  Gallatin  walked 
over,  for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse. 

Same  year,  on  Saturday  in  the  same  week,  he 
won  the  Handicap  Race,  three-mile  heats,  beating 
Dungannon  and  young  Dare  Devil. 

1805.  —  Gallatin  started  for  the  Jockey  Club 
Purse,  four-mile  heats,  but  was  beaten  by  Mr.  J. 
P.  Richardson's  ch.  c.  Sertorius,  four  years,  by 
Alderman.  He  must  have  been  entirely  out  of 
condition  in  this  race,  for  the  time  was  very  bad,  — 
8  minutes  16  seconds,  and  8  minutes  18  seconds. 

John  Randolph  of  Roanoke  was  present  in 
the  stand  at  Fairfield  (Richmond)  when  Colonel 
Alston  bought  Gallatin  of  Mr.  Tayloe.  He 
was  then  entered  as  Expectation.  Each  of  these 
three  gentlemen  held  a  stop-watch.  The  first, 
second,  and  fourth  miles  were  barely  cantering, 


44  The  American  Thoroughbred 

but  the  third  was  the  fastest  at  that  time  ever 
run  in  the  United  States,  the  best  on  record  for 
many  years ;  and  this  determined  Colonel  Alston 
to  make  the  purchase,  when  he  changed  the 
name  to  Gallatin. 

In  October,  1802,  at  Richmond,  when  three 
years  old,  he  ran  a  two-mile  heat  in  3  minutes 
43  seconds. 

Gallatin's  back  was  long,  and  not  in  the  best 
possible  shape,  but  he  had  fine  shoulders  and 
powerful,  muscular  thighs.  Unfortunately  for  his 
general  success  as  a  stallion,  he  stood  in  Georgia, 
where  there  were,  at  that  time,  not  many  good 
mares.  He  got  some  colts  that  proved  good  nags, 
but  nothing  equal  to  himself.  His  most  distin- 
guished progeny  were  Topgallant  (the  sire  of 
Monsieur  Tonson's  dam),  Mark  Time,  Lafayette, 
and  others. 

Colonel  Alston,  in  the  season  of  1805,  deter- 
mined to  retire  from  the  turf,  after  having  trained 
and  run  some  of  the  best  horses  that  ever  started 
in  Carolina ;  namely,  Maria  (the  dam  of  Lady 
Lightfoot),  Gallatin,  Nancy  Air,  and  others;  he 
bred  also  Lottery  and  Young  Peggy,  the  former 
purchased  by  Colonel  Singleton,  the  latter  by 
General  Hampton.      He  offered   for  sale  all  his 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  45 

race-horses  and  young  stock,  most  of  them  got 
by  Bedford,  Marplot,  Stirling,  and  Spread  Eagle. 
Three  of  his  mares  that  were  sold  were  imported ; 
namely,  the  dam  of  Ariadne  and  Gallatin;  an- 
other, named  Peggy,  bred  by  Lord  Clermont, 
and  Anvilina,  got  by  the  Prince  of  Wales'  famous 
horse  Anvil,  out  of  O' Kelly's  celebrated  mare 
Augusta  by  Eclipse.  His  whole  stud  was  put 
under  the  hammer  soon  after  the  Charleston 
races  in  1807,  when,  by  judicious  purchases, 
Messrs.  Singleton  and  Richardson  and  Hamp- 
ton were  enabled  to  keep  up  very  strong  stables 
for  many  years  after. 

Second  only  to  Colonel  Alston  in  his  devotion 
to  the  affairs  of  the  turf  was  Colonel  William 
Washington.  For  perhaps  thirty  years.  Colonel 
Washington's  colors  were  familiar  to  the  race- 
goers of  the  Carolinas  and  of  Virginia,  and  it 
was  his  highest  ambition  to  own  the  best 
animals  and  to  win  the  plates  and  cups  offered 
at  that  day  for  preservation  as  family  heirlooms. 

Probably  the  best  animal  that  ever  raced  under 
Colonel  Washington's  jacket  was  Shark.  He 
also  owned  famous  performers  of  their  day  in 
Ranger,  Rosetta,  Flora,  Actason,  Ariadne,  Chil- 
ders,  and  Trumpetta. 


46  The  American  Tborougbbred 

Shark  was  a  very  distinguished  animal  —  a  dark 
bay.  His  first  appearance  in  public  was  in  1794, 
as  a  three-year-old,  carrying  92  pounds,  when 
he  was  beaten  over  the  Washington  course, 
near  the  city  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  for 
the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  three-mile  heats,  by 
Dictator,  a  horse  bred  by  General  M'Pherson 
in  1790.  Five  started  —  Dictator,  Shark,  Mr. 
M'Pherson's  Escape,  Mr.  Burns's  Paragon,  and 
Mr.  Hugh  Rose's  Coquette.  Shark  won  the  first 
heat.  Dictator  the  second  and  third  heats. 

Time :  first  heat,  6  minutes  34  seconds ;  second 
heat,  5  minutes  58  seconds ;  third  heat,  6  minutes 
8  seconds. 

1795,  February  11.  —  Four-mile  heats,  Wash- 
ington Course.  Shark,  as  a  four-year-old,  106 
pounds,  beat  Captain  Warren's  Echaw.  This 
was  on  the  Wednesday  of  the  race  week.  On 
the  following  Saturday  he  also  won  easily,  against 
a  good  field,  the  Handicap  Race,  three-mile  heats. 

1797.  —  Shark,  six  years  old,  carrying  129 
pounds,  over  the  same  course,  on  the  Monday 
preceding  the  regular  race,  won  a  sweepstakes 
of  £1200  sterling,  in  two-mile  heats,  beating 
Colonel  Alston's  celebrated  g.  f.  Alborac  and 
General   Hampton's    Hazard.     This  was  a  most 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  47 

excellent  race,  and  run  in  good  time :  first  heat, 
3  minutes  54  seconds;  second  heat,  3  minutes  57 
seconds.  On  Saturday  of  the  same  week  he 
beat  Alborac,  three-mile  heats. 

1798,  Monday,  February  12.  —  Shark  was 
beaten  by  Commerce  for  a  subscription  purse  of 
^1000,  four-mile  heats.  This  was  a  very  exciting 
race.  Shark  won  the  second  heat,  Commerce  the 
first  and  third  heats.  Colonel  Hampton's  Patriot 
also  started. 

1799,  Wednesday,  February  13. —  Over  the 
Washington  Course,  Jockey  Club  Purse,  four- 
mile  heats.  Shark,  aged,  133  pounds,  beat  Har- 
poon and  Greyhound. 

Same  year. —  Shark  won  the  Handicap  Race 
at  Charleston,  three-mile  heats;  beating,  after  a 
severe  race  of  four  heats,  Alborac,  Merry  Andrew, 
Greyhound,  and  Harpoon.  Merry  Andrew  won 
the  first  heat,  Alborac  the  second  heat.  Shark 
the  third  and  fourth  heats. 

Shark  started  several  times  in  1800  and  1801, 
but  without  success.  He  was  then  advertised  as 
a  stallion,  and  became  as  popular  in  the  stud  as 
he  had  been  on  the  turf. 

Shark  was  conquered  in  1800  by  Black  Maria, 
who  had  been  sent  on  by  Colonel   Tayloe  from 


48  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Virginia  to  General  Hampton,  for  the  express 
purpose  of  a  trial  with  him.  The  famous  race- 
mare  Virago  was  first  applied  for  to  accomplish 
the  same  purpose.  It  is  often  stated  and  regretted 
that  Shark's  pedigree  is  little  known.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  he  was  by  imported  Shark,  his  dam 
by  Flimnap.  Piis  performances  establish  the 
purity  of  his  blood.  To  show  the  favor  in  which 
he  was  held  for  the  good  he  had  done  in  his  gen- 
eration, he  was  buried  with  distinguished  honors 
at  Jamesville  Race  Course  at  Clarendon,  near  the 
seat  of  James  B.  Richardson,  of  South  Carolina. 
A  marble  slab,  with  a  suitable  inscription,  marks 
the  spot  where  his  remains  were  deposited. 

Colonel  Washington  owned  a  full  sister  to 
Shark,  and  trained  her,  but  she  did  not  acquire 
any  of  the  fame  of  her  brother.  She  was  matched 
in  1797  against  Colonel  Alston's  Atalanta,  but 
paid  forfeit. 

Ariadne,  owned  by  General  Washington,  was 
first  called  Fairy.  They  were  one  and  the  same, 
and  not  two  distinct  mares.  The  General  changed 
the  name  to  Ariadne  after  he  bought  her  of  Colonel 
Hoomes,  of  the  Bowling  Green.  The  same  sea- 
son that  he  bought  Ariadne,  he  purchased  also 
Trumpetta,  which    won    at    Petersburg,    beating 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  49 

Doctor,  a  very  good  horse,  and  very  like  Collier 
in  figure  and  size. 

General  John  M'Pherson  and  Mr.  E.  Fenwicke 
were  both  stanch  patrons  and  contributors  to  the 
sports  of  the  turf  during  a  long  racing  career. 
They  both  owned  many  fine  horses,  which,  from 
their  intimate  knowledge  of  horseflesh  and  condi- 
tion, they  were  enabled  to  place  with  advantage. 
The  former  brought  upon  the  course,  in  1 794,  the 
renowned  Commerce,  who,  at  three  years  old,  in 
a  race  of  two  miles  (February  15),  won  the  South 
Carolina  Jockey  Club  Purse,  beating  a  large 
field. 

In  1796  Commerce  passed  into  Mr.  Fenwicke's 
and  Mr.  Ferguson's  hands.  They  ran  him  in  his 
five-year-old  form,  four-mile  heats,  on  Wednesday, 
for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  over  the  Washington 
Course,  which  he  won,  beating  a  very  fast  horse, 
Matchem,  the  property  of  Mr.  Bellinger.  In  the 
same  week,  on  Saturday,  he  won  easily  the  Handi- 
cap Race,  three-mile  heats. 

Like  Shark,  he  was  a  great  feature  on  the  South 
Carolina  turf  and  for  that  reason  his  principal  races 
are  here  enumerated.  His  first  race,  as  has  been 
just  said,  was  over  the  Washington  Course,  as 
a   three-year-old,    season    of    1794,    carrying    92 


50  The  American  Thoroughbred 

pounds,  for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  two-mile  heats, 
when  he  beat  Captain  Saunders's  Cornelia,  Colonel 
Washington's  Act^eon,  Captain  Davis's  Picture, 
Captain  Alston's  Meteor,  Mr.  Hugh  Rose's  Flirt, 
Captain  Moultrie's  Tristram  Shandy,  Mr.  Richard- 
son's Farmer,  and  Mr.  Field's  Peter  Pindar. 

Time :  first  heat,  4  minutes ;  second  heat,  4 
minutes  i  second. 

1795.  —  For  the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  of  two-mile 
heats,  he  beat  Mr.  Bellinger's  Justice,  after  a  very 
severe  contest.     Justice  won  the  first  heat. 

1796.  —  Over  the  same  course  Commerce,  then 
five  years  old,  carrying  120  pounds,  beat  Mr.  Bel- 
linger's bl.  h.  Matchem,  four-mile  heats.  Matchem 
won  the  first  heat,  and  bolted  in  the  second. 

On  Saturday,  in  the  same  week,  he  won  the 
Handicap  Purse,  beating  Captain  O'Brien  Smith's 
Tally-Ho,  Mr.  Moultrie's  Banker,  and  Colonel 
McPherson's  Touch-and-Jump. 

1797,  Wednesday,  Februarys.  —  Same  course. 
Four-mile  heats.  Jockey  Club  Purse.  He  beat 
Lath  easily. 

1798,  Monday,  February  12.  —  Commerce  won 
a  Jockey  Club  Subscription  Purse  of  ^1000,  four- 
mile  heats,  over  the  Washington  Course.  The 
entries  were:    Mr.  Fenwicke's   b.  h.    Commerce, 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  51 

aged,  133  pounds;  Colonel  Washington's  b.  h. 
Shark,  aged,  133  pounds;  General  Hampton's 
Patriot,  four  years,   106  pounds. 

Commerce  won  the  first  and  third  heats,  Shark 
the  second,  and  made  a  very  near  thing  of  the  third. 
Patriot  was  well  up  in  each  heat.  The  course 
was  very  heavy  or  the  time  would  have  been  better. 
The  time  of  the  first  heat  is  recorded  as  8  mile 
16  seconds;  second  heat,  8  mile  17  seconds;  third 
heat,  8  mile  32  seconds. 

Commerce  and  Shark  were  often  tried  against 
each  other,  and  were  so  nearly  equal,  it  was  the 
opinion  of  competent  judges  that  condition  alone 
determined  their  superiority.  This  was  confirmed 
by  the  fact  that  whenever  Mr.  Fenwicke,  who 
knew  the  temper  and  constitution  of  both  horses 
well,  trained  Commerce,  he  beat  Shark;  and 
whenever  he  had  the  care  and  handling  of  Shark, 
Shark  in  his  turn  would  beat  Commerce. 

Shark  having  beaten  several  of  General  Hamp- 
ton's best  horses,  —  his  Lath  and  Hazard,  —  he 
resolved  to  find  a  horse  that  should  be  more  for- 
tunate against  him.  In  1 799,  therefore,  he  trained 
a  remarkably  fine  gelding,  and  brought  him  on  the 
course.  As  he  was  entered  to  destroy  Shark,  he 
gave  him  the  significant  name  of  Harpoon.     This 


52  The  American  Thoroughbred 

formidable  instrument,  however,  that  was  chosen 
to  do  so  much  execution  and  afford  such  sport, 
proved  blunt  and  unworthy,  not  even  grazing 
the  side  of  the  monster  of  the  deep.  Harpoon, 
though  not  being  able  to  make  any  headway 
against  Shark,  nevertheless  proved  a  good  horse 
and  won  many  fine  races. 

With  the  same  object  that  Harpoon  was  matched 
against  Shark,  a  horse  was  also  selected  to  defeat 
and  put  down  Commerce.  He  was  named  Pri' 
vateer.  This  clipper  (for  he  was  a  horse  of  great 
foot)  did  not  prove  fast  enough,  however,  to  over- 
haul his  anticipated  prize,  and,  like  Harpoon,  had 
to  retire  "  inglorious  from  the  field." 

General  M'Pherson  bought  from  Colonel  Al- 
ston his  Brilliant  Mare,  and  his  brood  mare  Hope, 
with  her  filly  by  Marplot,  besides  importing,  from 
England,  Star  by  Highflyer  out  of  a  mare  by  Snap, 
—  a  very  promising  stallion  from  the  appearance 
of  his  colts,  when  he  left  England  ;  also  Fire  Brand, 
a  ch.  c.  by  Buzzard  out  of  Fanny,  own  sister  to 
King  Fergus ;  a  br.  f.  got  by  Sir  Peter  out  of  Vival- 
di's dam  by  Mercury,  —  this  filly  was  trained  and 
ran  under  the  name  of  Cinderella;  a  roan  colt, 
own  brother  to  the  brown  filly  mentioned  above ; 
a  large  b.  f.  by  Sir  Peter,  dam  by  Woodpecker;  a 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  53 

gr.  f.  by  Sir  Peter  out  of  Bab  by  Bordeaux ; 
and  a  dark  br.  f.  by  Trumpator  out  of  Demirep 
by  Highflyer.  Of  the  above  importations,  Star 
did  not  answer  the  expectations  raised  of  him  as 
a  foal-getter  in  South  Carolina.  Fire  Brand  died 
on  his  passage  out  to  this  country.  The  roan 
colt  was  called  Sir  Peter  Teazle ;  he  was  trained, 
but  never  ran.  The  gray  filly  was  called  Psyche, 
and  was  in  the  stud  of  Colonel  Singleton. 

General  Hampton  was  for  a  long  time  one  of 
the  most  spirited  of  the  South  Carolina  racing 
men.  He  trained  and  ran  Mogul,  —  a  very  great 
three-mile  horse,  —  Lath,  Hazard,  Patriot,  Har- 
poon, Maria,  Rattle,  Lady  Bull,  Highlander,  Ara- 
bella, Dungannon,  Merchant,  Omar,  and  Caroline, 
with  many  others,  too  numerous  to  mention 
here.  In  1800  he  won  all  the  purses  at  Charles- 
ton, Maria  winning  on  the  first  and  fourth  days, 
Harpoon  on  the  second  day,  and  Rattle  on  the 
third  day. 

Ugly,  a  very  fortunate  horse,  though  bred  by 
General  Sumter,  was  usually  run  by  General 
Hampton.  He  was  a  good  four-mile  horse.  He 
was  ugly  by  nature  as  well  as  by  name.  On  one 
occasion,  after  he  had  made  a  capital  race,  a 
gentleman    (Judge    Huger,  who    in  a   green   old 


54  The  American  Thoroughbred 

age  long  enjoyed  the  love  and  veneration  of  his 
native  state),  looking  at  him  in  the  crowd,  re- 
marked, "  Who  would  have  expected  such  a  per- 
formance from  such  an  unpromising  looking 
animal  ?  "  General  Hampton,  overhearing  the 
observation,  with  characteristic  quickness  of  rep- 
artee, replied :  "  Perhaps,  sir,  you  did  not  know 
who  trained  him." 

General  Hampton  purchased  from  Colonel 
Alston  a  br.  c.  Wonder,  by  old  Flimnap  out  of 
Kitty  Fisher;  a  b.  c.  by  Stirling  out  of  Kitty 
Bull ;  a  ch.  f.  by  Bedford  out  of  an  imported  ch. 
f.  by  Mambrino  out  of  a  sister  to  Naylor's  Sally. 
T/iis  was  a  full  sister  to  the  great  Gallatin  I 

The  principal  breeding  animals  used  in  the  old 
stud  of  General  Hampton  were  :  — 

Gunn  Mare,  bred  by  General  Hampton,  got  by 
Paragon  out  of  a  mare  imported  into  New  Jersey. 
Paragon  was  got  by  old  Flimnap  out  of  Camilla, 
sister  to  Brilliant. 

Stirling  Mare,  foaled  1802,  out  of  the  Gunn 
Mare. 

Cora,  bred  by  Colonel  Kennon  of  Virginia, 
foaled  1790,  got  by  Obscurity,  her  dam  Nancy 
Whirlgig  by  Figure  —  Mark  Antony,  Jolly  Roger, 
Mary  Gray. 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  55 

Desdemona,  bred  by  Mr.  Dance,  and  purchased 
by  Colonel  Selden,  was  got  by  Dare  Devil,  her 
dam  Lady  Bolingbroke  by  Pantaloon,  her  g.  dam 
Cade  by  King  Herod  (by  Fearnought  out  of 
Kitty  Fisher),  her  g.  g.  dam  Primrose  by  Dove 
(son  of  Cade  by  old  Cade),  her  g.  g.  g.  dam  Stella 
was  got  by  Othello  by  Arab,  her  g.  g.  g.  g.  dam 
Selina  was  got  by  the  Godolphin  Arabian. 

Cormorant  Mare,  foaled  1800,  bred  by  Colonel 
Hoomes,  her  dam  by  Medley,  her  g.  dam  by 
Pegasus  (son  of  Fearnought  out  of  Jenny  Dis- 
mal), her  g.  g.  dam  Sally  Wright  by  Yorick,  out 
a  thoroughbred  mare  of  Colonel  Tayloe's. 

Calash,  foaled  1802,  got  by  Saltram,  out  of 
Cora. 

Little  Witch,  foaled  1803,  got  by  Saltram,  her 
dam  by  Clockfast,  g.  dam  by  Yorick,  g.  g.  dam 
by  Mr.  Tayloe's  Childers  —  g.  g.  g.  dam  by 
Traveller  out  of  the  imported  mare  Jenny  Cam- 
eron. 

Centinel  Mare  was  got  by  Centinel  (son  of  old 
Centinel,  Fearnought,  Jolly  Roger,  Partner,  Sil- 
ver Eye),  her  dam  by  Americus,  Janus,  Valiant, 
Aristotle,  etc. 

Diomed  Mare,  foaled  1801,  her  dam  (the  dam 
of  Maria  and  of  Vingtun)  by  Clockfast. 


56  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Drone  Mare,  foaled  1800,  bred  by  Colonel 
Talmadge,  got  by  the  imported  horse  Drone  (son 
of  Herod) ;  her  dam  Harlot,  imported  by  Colonel 
Talmadge,  was  got  by  a  full-bred  son  of  Herod 
out  of  a  Snap  mare ;  she  was  out  of  Lord  Butie's 
Harlot. 

Drone  Mare,  full  sister  to  the  above,  foaled 
1801. 

Spread  Eagle  Mare,  foaled  1803,  her  dam  by 
Brilliant,  g.  dam  by  Shadow,  g.  g.  dam  by  Fear- 
nought out  of  a  thoroughbred  mare  —  sold. 

Fantail,  bred  by  John  Goode,  Esq.,  of  Meck- 
lenburg, Virginia.  She  was  got  by  a  son  of 
Shark  from  a  mare  doubly  crossed  by  Janus, 
and  got  by  his  horse  Twig,  by  Warning  out  of 
a  full-bred  Janus  mare;  Warning  was  got  by 
Fearnought,  also  out  of  a  Janus  mare. 

It  would  be  invidious  to  say  who  in  the  njext 
generation  among  the  many  conspicuous  char- 
acters on  the  South  Carolina  turf  stood  in  the 
foremost  rank.  It  is  well  to  begin,  however,  with 
Colonel  Singleton,  not  only  as  "  an  older  soldier," 
but  as  a  well-known  breeder,  and  the  fortunate 
possessor  of  many  good  horses  for  a  long  series 
of  years. 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  57 

In  1827  he  won  every  day  at  Charleston. 

Wednesday,  February  28.  —  His  ch.  c.  Red- 
gauntlet,  three  years,  by  Sir  Archy,  walked  over 
for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  —  four-mile  heats. 

Thursday,  March  i.  —  His  gr.  f.  Ariel  by 
Eclipse  beat  Mr.  Graves's  ch.  m.  Lady  Ezras, 
and  Mr.  Harrison's  Roderick,  for  Jockey  Club 
Purse  —  three-mile  heats. 

Friday,  March  2.  —  His  b.  f.  Nondescript,  four 
years,  by  Kosciusko,  beat  Mr.  Graves's  ch.  c.  Nebo, 
by  Timoleon  —  Jockey  Club  Purse  —  two-mile 
heats. 

Saturday,  March  3.  —  Handicap  Race,  three- 
mile  heats.  His  ch.  f.  Ariel  beat  Mr.  Graves's  ch. 
m.  Lady  Ezras  by  Sir  Archy. 

From  some  cause  or  another,  adhering  too 
long,  perhaps,  to  one  particular  strain,  he  was 
rendered  almost  kors  de  combat  for  many  cam- 
paigns. 

This  was  true  with  the  exception  of  a  single 
filly,  Medora  (imported  in  1833,  in  the  ship 
Camilla,  from  Liverpool),  by  Chateau  Margaux, 
out  of  Marianne,  the  dam  of  the  celebrated  Eng- 
lish horse  Medoro,  and  which,  turning  out  a 
trump,  promised  for  a  while  in  a  great  measure 
to  turn    the  tide  of  fortune  ao^ain  in  his   favor. 


58  The  American  Tboroiigbhred 

She  started  twice  in  1836  as  a  three-year-old  — 
once  in  Charleston,  February  19,  and  once  in 
Augusta,  Georgia,  for  the  Jockey  Club  Purses, 
two-mile  heats,  both  of  which  races  she  won  easily. 
The  former  (carrying  87  pounds)  she  won  in  three 
heats;  the  first  heat  was  run  in  4  minutes,  the 
second  heat  in  3  minutes  50  seconds,  the  third 
heat  in  3  minutes  51  seconds,  beating  Vertumnus, 
four  years  old,  by  Eclipse,  dam  by  Defiance  (who 
won  the  first  heat),  and  Mr.  Winter's  ch.  f.  Sally 
Jenkins,  and  a  filly  of  Mr.Guignard's  named  Hebe. 

Medora,  becoming  amiss  in  the  following  year, 
was  withdrawn  from  the  turf  and  put  to  Priam. 

In  1807  Colonel  Singleton  purchased,  at  the 
sale  of  Colonel  Alston's  thoroughbred  stock,  a  ch. 
f.,  foaled  in  1805,  by  Bedford  out  of  an  imported 
mare  bred  by  Lord  Grosvenor,  got  by  Mambrino 
out  of  a  sister  to  Naylor's  Sally ;  also,  ch.  f.  Lot- 
tery by  Bedford  out  of  Anvilina,  bred  by  Mr. 
O'Kelly,  foaled  in  1796,  got  by  Anvil  out  of 
Augusta,  and  imported  by  Mr.  John  Tayloe,  in 
1799,  into  Norfolk,  Virginia. 

Colonel  Singleton  bred  the  celebrated  stallion 
Kosciusko  by  Sir  Archy  out  of  the  famous  brood 
mare  Lottery.  He  was  also  the  owner  of  the 
renowned    but    unfortunate    "  Clara    Fisher,"   by 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  59 

Kosciusko,  dam  by  Hephestion,  at  the  time  she 
ran  her  memorable  match  against  Colonel  John- 
son's Bonnets  o'  Blue,  over  the  Washington 
Course,  near  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in 
1832 — four-mile  heats,  for  $10,000,  both  four- 
year-olds,  and  carrying  99  pounds.  Clara 
Fisher  had  won  the  first  heat  in  7  minutes 
45  seconds,  and  was  leading  in  the  second  heat 
under  a  strong  pull,  when  she  gave  way,  from 
an  injury  received  a  few  weeks  previously  in 
training.  Although  she  literally  ran  the  last 
two  miles  of  the  second  heat  on  three  legs,  she 
was  well  up  with  her  competitor,  and  concluded 
the  heat  in  8  minutes  5  seconds.  If  this  casu- 
alty had  not  occurred,  she  must  have  won  with 
considerable  ease. 

In  point  of  judgment  and  tact  in  managing 
a  race,  Colonel  Singleton  was  undoubtedly  equal 
to  any  man  in  the  world;  but  it  was  often  la- 
mented that  he  was  characteristically  so  cautious 
in  entering  and  making  engagements  for  his 
horses. 

As  a  breeder  Colonel  Singleton  was,  at  one 
period  of  his  career,  unequalled.  From  some 
of  his  horses,  the  turf  in  South  Carolina  derived 
signal    advantage.       From    the   following   list,  of 


6o  The  American  Thoroughbred 

the  most  distinguished  of  his  stock,  it  will  at 
once  be  seen  that  from  his  old  stock  were  de- 
scended some  of  the  best  horses  of  their  day :  — 

Lottery  by  imported  Bedford  out  of  imported 
Anvilina,  a  very  noted  racer  and  capital  brood 
mare.  She  produced  young  Lottery  by  Sir 
Archy,  Kosciusko,  Saxe  Weimar,  Mary  Single- 
ton, Phenomenon  —  all  by  Sir  Archy,  and 
Sylph  by  Hephestion,  who  was  the  dam  of 
Redgauntlet,  a  fine  race-horse  by  Sir  Archy. 

Pandora,  another  of  his  distinguished  brood 
mares,  was  the  dam  of  Little  John  by  Potomac, 
Ganymede  by  Hephestion,  etc. 

Imported  Psyche  was  another  of  his  brood 
mares;  she  was  the  dam  of  Mark  Time  by 
Gallatin,  Lambelle  by  Kosciusko,  etc. 

Colonel  Singleton  imported,  in  1834,  in  the 
ship  Dalhousie  Castle,  from  Liverpool,  bound 
direct  to  Charleston,  a  bay  horse  Non  Plus, 
by  Cotton  out  of  Miss  Garforth  by  Walton. 
He  kept  him  for  a  while,  and  tried  him  as  a 
stallion ;  but,  not  equalling  his  expectations  in 
the  stud,  he  offered  him  for  sale  at  the  Columbia 
Races  in  January,  1836.  Colonel  Butler,  who 
was  killed  at  the  head  of  the  South  Carolina 
regiment,    gallantly   leading   it   on   to   victory  in 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  6i 

the  Mexican  War,  facetiously  observed  of  this 
horse  that,  as  far  as  he  had  proved  of  any  use 
to  Colonel  Singleton,  his  proper  name  should 
be  Stir- Plus  ! 

In  1836  Colonel  Singleton  bought,  at  the  sale 
of  yearlings  of  the  king  of  England's  stud,  a 
brown  filly  by  Sultan  out  of  Rachel,  sister  to 
Moses  by  Whalebone,  rather  small  size  for  her 
age,  but  neatly  formed,  very  fine  shoulder;  she 
cost  120  guineas.  He  also  bought  a  b.  f.  by 
Tranby  out  of  Elfrida  by  Whalebone  —  black 
legs,  rather  light,  as  all  the  Whalebone  stock 
were,  but  very  handsome;  he  gave  for  her  no 
guineas. 

Colonel  Singleton  went  to  England  in  1839; 
while  there,  still  further  to  improve  his  stock,  he 
purchased  a  brown  yearling  filly  by  Augustus, 
dam  by  Orville,  her  dam  Sprightly  by  Whis- 
ker; also  a  yearling  filly  by  Glaucus  out  of 
Cristabel  by  Woful,  her  dam  Harriet  (the  dam 
of  Plenipotentiaiy)  by  Pericles.  The  two  were 
shipped  from  England  in  the  month  of  October 
of  the  same  year. 

At  one  time  the  produce  of  Colonel  Single- 
ton's stud  were  accustomed  to  bring  the  highest 
prices,  and  were  sought  after  with  avidity  by  all 


62  The  American  Thoroughbred 

who  were  either  already  engaged  upon  the  turf 
or  were  anxious  to  make  their  debut  with  some 
credit  on  it. 

As  a  breeder  coeval  with  Colonel  Singleton, 
Colonel  James  B.  Richardson  stood  conspicuous. 
With  but  two  exceptions,  General  Hampton,  in 
1800,  and  Colonel  Singleton,  in  1827,  he  was 
the  only  man  who  ever  took  all  the  Jockey  Club 
Purses  at  one  meeting  in  Charleston.  This  he  did 
in  1833,  having  in  his  stable  a  very  strong  string, 
but  without  any  competition  that  year.  Bertrand 
Jr.,  Little  Venus,  Mucklejohn,  and  Julia  composed 
his  stable.  He  purchased,  at  the  sale  of  Colonel 
Alston's  thoroughbred  stock  in  1807,  bay  colt 
Rosicrucian  by  Dragon  out  of  Anvilina;  also, 
a  ch.  f.  Charlotte  by  Gallatin  out  of  the  same 
dam.  In  1834  he  backed  his  Bertrand  Jr.,  five 
years  old,  and  Little  Venus,  five  years,  against 
any  two  named  horses  in  America,  four-mile 
heats,  ^5000  a  side  each  match.  This  chal- 
lenge was  accepted  by  Colonel  Johnson  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  nominated  Andrew  by  Sir  Charles, 
and  Bonnets  o'  Blue  by  Sir  Charles  —  Andrew 
against  Bertrand  Jr.,  and  Bonnets  o'  Blue 
against  Little  Venus.  The  latter  match  came 
off  at  Columbia  in  January,  1833,  and  was  won 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  63 

by  Little  Venus.  The  former  was  appointed  to 
take  place  at  Charleston  over  the  Washington 
Course;    but   Andrew,  falling  lame,  paid  forfeit. 

The  colonel's  racing  stud  was  extensive  as 
long  as  he  had  the  health  to  attend  personally 
to  it.  His  best  and  favorite  brood  mare  was 
Transport  by  Virginius  out  of  Nancy  Air  by 
imported  Bedford.  She  made  several  very  fine 
races  in  181 7  and  18 18,  over  the  Washington 
Course,  which  we  will  dilate  upon  in  another 
place. 

During  his  career  Colonel  Richardson  may 
truly  be  said  to  have  been  an  ornament  to  the 
Carolina  turf.  He  always  ran  his  horses  hon- 
estly and  truly,  and  supported,  to  the  best  of  his 
ability,  the  different  meetings  throughout  the 
state.  He  was  not  generally  successful ;  but 
such  was  the  evenness  of  his  temper  and  the 
amenity  of  his  disposition,  he  seemed  quite  as 
well  pleased  to  have  afforded  sport  as  to  have 
carried  off  a  purse. 

Colonel  Spann,  as  next  in  order,  and  closely 
connected  by  marriage  with  Colonel  Richardson, 
was  at  one  time  a  steady  supporter  of  the  Caro- 
lina turf;  but  during  the  last  few  years  of  his 
life  he  trained  very  few  horses.     He  died  in  1841. 


64  The  American  Tborougbbred 

In  fact,  since  he  had  the  handUng  of  some  of  his 
father-in-law's  stock  (Colonel  Richardson),  the 
tide  of  fortune  seemed  to  have  set  against  his 
stables.  He  bred  the  celebrated  Bertrand  by- 
Sir  Archy  out  of  Eliza  by  Bedford,  all  things 
considered,  both  as  to  his  performances  whilst 
on  the  turf  and  his  get,  as  distinguished  as  any 
native  stallion  of  the  early  century.  He  con- 
trived to  get  as  many  winners  out  of  all  sorts 
of  mares  as  any  other  horse  contemporary  with 
him,  —  Bascombe,  Bill  Austen,  Bertrand  Jr.,  Rat- 
tlesnake, and  many  others  too  numerous  to 
mention. 

In  speaking  of  this  very  remarkable  horse, 
one  peculiarity  of  his  training  cannot  be  omitted 
—  a  quality  of  inestimable  value,  and  which  testi- 
fied in  an  especial  manner  to  his  great  game  and 
endurance.  This  was  his  power  of  recovering 
himself  in  a  long  race  after  being  apparently 
dead  beat.  He  could  make  more  quarter  brushes 
in  a  four-mile-heat  race  than  any  horse  of  his 
time  severely  pressed  in  a  race.  It  was  only 
necessary  for  his  jockey,  whenever  he  felt  him 
weakening,  to  take  a  strong  pull  upon  him  for 
a  few  jumps,  to  find  him  not  wanting  as  soon  as 
called  upon  again.     Without  this  invincible  pluck 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  65 

he  never  could  have  beaten  Mr.  Davenport's 
Aratus  by  Director,  full  brother  to  Virginian, 
out  of  a  Sir  Hari-y  mare,  half-sister  to  Timoleon, 
in  the  style  he  did  at  Charleston  in  1826,  a  fourth 
heat  of  three  miles.  There  were  three  entries  — 
Bertrand,  Aratus,  and  Creeping  Kate,  a  very  fast 
thing  by  Sir  Archy.  Bertrand,  as  a  five-year-old, 
carried  112  pounds;  Aratus,  five  years  old,  112 
pounds;  and  Creeping  Kate,  of  the  same  age, 
109  pounds  (allowed  as  a  mare  3  pounds). 

It  is  proper  to  record  here,  as  a  part  of  the 
history  of  the  South  Carolina  turf,  and  one  of  its 
greatest  achievements,  that  Bertrand  contended 
for  every  heat ;  first  with  Aratus,  Creeping  Kate 
just  saving  her  distance,  and  Aratus  winning  the 
heat.  In  the  second  heat  Creeping  Kate  was 
the  contending  nag  against  Bertrand,  Kate  at 
the  termination  of  the  heat  showing  a  wonderful 
turn  of  speed,  and  winning  it  only  by  a  length. 
In  the  third  heat,  Bertrand  went  off  at  the  top 
of  his  speed,  closely  followed  by  Creeping  Kate, 
Aratus  evidently  holding  back  for  the  next  heat. 
Bertrand  won  this  heat  by  a  neck  from  Creeping 
Kate.  In  the  fourth  heat.  Creeping  Kate  being 
withdrawn,  Bertrand  and  Aratus  ran  a  match 
race.     Aratus  took  the  lead  and  kept  it  the  first 


66  Tbe  American  Tborougbbred 

round ;  they  then  ran  locked  for  a  mile.  At  the 
commencement  of  the  third  round,  Aratus  seemed 
to  have  the  advantage  of  a  stride  or  two;  but 
within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  coming-in 
chair,  Bertrand  rallied  all  his  energies,  made  a 
final  effort,  and  won  the  heat  dy  a  head,  amid 
the  deafening  acclamations  of  the  crowd. 

The  first  heat  was  run  in  5  minutes  47  seconds ; 
the  second  heat  in  5  minutes  48  seconds ;  the 
third  heat  in  5  minutes  54  seconds;  and  the 
fourth  heat  in  5  minutes  53  seconds. 

Now,  to  have  owned  such  a  horse  as  Bertrand 
was  glory  enough,  it  will  be  thought,  perhaps,  for 
one  man  in  a  lifetime;  but  to  illustrate  the  dif- 
ference in  the  estimated  value  of  blood  stock  in 
those  days  and  at  the  present  time,  notwithstand- 
ing the  unrivalled  performance  of  Bertrand,  he 
was  sold  in  1826  for  the  paltry  sum  of  $3250. 
Even  this  amount  was  at  first  thought  exorbitant. 
It  was  only  after  much  deliberation  and  calcula- 
tion, and  consultation  with  friends,  and  haggling 
as  to  the  price,  and  a  journey  to  and  from  Ken- 
tucky, that  Mr.  Lindsay,  the  purchaser,  was 
brought  to  give  even  $3250  for  him.  Later,  it 
was  said  of  Colonel  Spann  that,  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  he  never  forgave  himself  for  dispossessing 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  67 

himself,  at  one  fell  swoop,  for  a  mere  trifle  too, 
of  the  pride  of  his  native  state  and  one  of  the 
best  horses  that  ever  gave  character  to  the  Ameri- 
can turf.  Colonel  Spann's  sale  of  Bertrand  was 
like  Glaucus  "  exchanging  gold  for  iron,  under 
the  walls  of  old  Troy." 

Bertrand  was  taken  to  Kentucky  by  Mr.  Lind- 
say, where  he  annually  realized  for  his  fortunate 
owner  a  large  sum.  Bertrand  for  several  seasons 
covered  one  hundred  and  eighty  mares,  receiving 
mares  into  his  harem  during  every  month  in  the 
year  but  one.  Bertrand  covered  at  ^100  the 
season. 

There  was  another  gentleman,  among  the  best 
specimens  of  a  country  gentleman  of  the  South, 
who,  although  he  did  not  figure  conspicuously 
on  the  Charleston  Course,  must  nevertheless  be 
mentioned  with  profound  respect  —  that  patriot, 
citizen,  and  sportsman  of  the  old  school.  General 
Cantey.     He  was  one  of  that  gallant  band 

"  Who  fought  for  the  land  their  souls  adored ; 
For  happy  homes  and  altars  free ; 
Their  only  talisman  the  sword  ; 
Their  only  spell-word  Liberty  !  " 

In  private  life,  too,  all  who  knew  General 
Cantey  loved  him ;   his  hospitality  and  courtesy 


68  The  American  Tborougbbred 

were  proverbial,  indicating,  upon  all  occasions, 
the  sterling  qualities  that  have  ever  characterized 
the  country  gentleman  of  the  South.  This  is  no 
place  to  pay  a  tribute  of  respect  to  his  memory  as 
a  patriot  or  citizen,  however  pleasing  such  themes 
may  be ;  to  us  pertains  the  humbler  task  to  speak 
of  him  only  as  a  racer  —  a  Brother  of  the  Turf. 
He  had  a  stock  of  horses  well  bred,  and  always 
trained  one  or  two  for  the  races  at  Camden  and 
Statesburg,  and  generally  won  a  purse.  If  suc- 
cessful, he  never  put  into  his  own  pocket  what  he 
won,  but  gave  it  to  one  or  other  of  the  churches 
in  Camden  or  to  the  Orphan  Society.  He  had 
the  prayers  of  the  faithful  that  he  might  win  ; 
insiders  and  outsiders  both  wished  him  luck  — 
the  latter,  on  account  of  their  veneration  for 
General  Zack  Cantey;  the  former,  because  his 
winnings  were  always  devoted  to  charity. 

We  now  come  to  the  impersonation  of  Caro- 
lina chivalry,  the  embodied  spirit  of  Carolina 
blood  and  Carolina  honor,  one  that  may  be 
looked  upon  as  the  main  contributor  in  South 
Carolina,  for  many  seasons,  to  the  legitimate  end 
of  racing  —  the  improvement  of  our  breed  of 
horses,  Colonel  Hampton.  Colonel  Hampton  far 
outstripped  all  his  predecessors  and  contempora- 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  69 

ries  on  the  turf,  in  the  ardor  of  his  zeal  and  the 
extent  of  his  racing  establishment.  No  pilgrim 
ever  knelt  at  the  shrine  of  My  Lady  at  Loretto, 
nor  ever  dipt  into  the  River  Jordan,  with  greater 
devotion  than  the  colonel  visited  his  stables  in 
the  morning  to  admire  the  objects  of  his  solici- 
tude, which,  by  their  condition  and  performances, 
generally  so  well  repaid  his  attention.  The 
epithet  "  delighting  in  horses,"  applied  by  Pindar 
to  Hiero,  king  of  Syracuse,  who,  on  his  favorite 
horse  Phrenicus,  was  the  winner  of  the  Olympic 
crown,  could  equally  well  have  been  applied  to 
Colonel  Hampton,  for  no  man  was  fonder  of  fine 
horses  than  he.  One  would  like  to  possess, 
painted  by  Troye,  the  colonel's  likeness  on  his 
favorite  "  Monarch  " ;  what 

"  A  combination,  and  a  form  indeed," 

to  hand  down  to  posterity, 

"  To  give  the  world  assurance  of  " 

an  honorable  sportsman  and  a  high-mettled  racer 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  -.^. 

Colonel  Hampton  commenced  his  racing  career 
in  the  right  way,  with  none  but  good  ones,  and, 
in  consequence,  was  from  the  first  eminently 
successful.     One  of  his  most  brilliant  campaigns 


70  The  American  Thoroughbred 

was  the  season  of  1836,  when,  at  Columbia,  he 
won  three  days,  eve7y  time  he  started.  He  won 
the  Colt  Stake  with  his  Godolphin  colt  Lath ; 
the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  four-mile  heats,  with  Bay 
Maria,  and  the  Hampton  Plate  with  Charlotte 
Russe,  full  sister  to  Trifle.  These  races  were 
won  without  a  broken  heat,  and  against  good 
fields  of  horses.  Immediately  after,  over  the 
Washington  Course,  near  Charleston,  he  was 
also  eminently  successful ;  also  at  Augusta, 
Georgia.  Kitty  Heath,  three  years,  by  Eclipse, 
dam  by  Alfred,  was  in  his  stable  at  the  time. 
Kitty,  with  the  three  mentioned  above,  started 
ten  times  during  the  campaign,  and  lost  but  one 
race. 

The  colonel  deserved  success,  for  he  was  not 
only  a  gentleman  of  high  character,  but  of  great 
liberality  on  the  turf.  He  was  for  many  years  a 
very  liberal  buyer,  giving  the  highest  prices  for 
horses  that  took  his  fancy  and  promised  well,  in 
other  states,  as  well  as  having  purchased  largely 
at  the  annual  sale  of  the  royal  stud  at  Hampton 
Court,  in  England,  as  long  as  those  sales  con- 
tinued. The  following  enumeration  of  his  blood 
stock  imported  from  England,  his  native  blood 
stock,  and    horses    in  training,  autumn  of    1842, 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  71 

may  be  taken  as  a  fair  criterion  by  which  the 
extent  of  his  breeding  and  racing  estabHshment 
may  be  judged:  — 

Importations  of  Blood  Stock  by  W.  Hampton 

1835,  b.  c.  Monarch  by  Priam  out  of  Delphine. 

B.  f.  Emily  by  Emilius  out  of  Elizabeth  by  Rainbow. 

B.  f.  Lilly  by  The  Colonel  out  of  Fleur  de  Lis  by  Bourbon, 
given  to  Colonel  Fludd. 

B.  f.  by  Priam  out  of  sister  to  Spumante,  sold  Colonel  J.  S. 
Preston. 

Br.  m.  Emmy  by  Magistrate  out  of  Emmeline,  covered  by 
Camel,  sold  Colonel  J.  S.  Preston. 

Ch.  m.  Tears  by  Woful  out  of  Miss  Stephenson,  covered  by 
Defence,  sold  Colonel  J.  S.  Preston. 

Ch.  c.  foal  by  Defence  out  of  Tears,  sold  Colonel  J.  S. 
Preston. 

1836,  br.  c.  by  The  Colonel  out  of  Posthuma,  dead. 

B.  f.  by  Emilius  out  of  Ada  (sister  to  Augusta),  exchanged 
with  Colonel  Butler. 

Ch.  f.  The  Queen,  own  sister  to  Monarch,  sold  Dr.  Merritt. 
Ch.  f.  by  The  Colonel  out  of  Peri,  sold  General  Adams. 

1837,  b.  c.  Sovereign  by  Emilius  out  of  Fleur  de  Lis. 
Ch.  f.  by  Actseon  out  of  Ada,  sold  General  Adams. 

Ch.  f.  The  Actress  by  The  Colonel  out  of  Miss  Clifton,  sold 
Colonel  Manning. 

B.  f.  by  Actseon  out  of  Scandal,  sold  Colonel  Butler. 

Ch.  f.  by  Langar  out  of  The  Balkan,  sold  Colonel  Manning. 

B.  m.  Lucy  by  Cain  out  of  mare  by  Bustard. 

1838,  b.  m.  Delphine  (dam  of  Monarch  and  The  Queen)  by 
Whisker  out  of  My  Lady,  in  foal  to  Plenipo. 


72  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Ch.  f.  Penelope  by  Plenipo  out  of  Brazil. 

B.  f.  Milliner  by  Merchant  out  of  Surprise. 

B.  f.  by  Emilius  out  of ,  sold  General  Adams. 

Br.  c.  by  Saracen,  dam  by  Filho-da-Puta  out  of  Mervinia 
by  Walton,  sold  Captain  Rowe. 

Ch.  f.  Fury  by  Priam  out  of  sister  to  Ainderby,  sold  Colonel 
Butler. 

Colonel  Hampton  also  owned,  in  1837,  and  bred  from,  the 
celebrated  imported  stallion  Rowton. 

Monarch  cost  256  guineas. 

F.  by  The  Colonel,  120  guineas. 

F.  by  Emilius,  205  guineas. 

F.  by  Priam,  no  guineas. 

Native  Stock 

Peggy,  bred  by  Colonel  Alston,  by  imported  Bedford  out  of 
imported  Peggy. 

1816,  ch.f.Trumpetta  by  Hephestion,  given  J.M.Howell,  Esq. 

181 7,  ch.  f.  by  Hephestion,  died  without  produce. 

18 1 9,  ch.  c.  Candidate  by  Virginius,  sold  in  Louisiana. 

Peggy  died  in  1834,  leaving  no  other  produce. 

Pocahontas,  bred  by  Colonel  Singleton  in  1819,  got  by  Sir 
Archy,  her  dam  Lottery  by  Sir  Archy  out  of  Lottery  by  im- 
ported Bedford  out  of  imported  Anvilina. 

1828,  b.  f.  by  Bertrand,  given  General  Scott  of  Alabama, 
dam  of  West  Wind. 

1832,  b.  c.  Gadsden  by  Crusader,  broke  down  winning  Pro- 
duce Stake  at  Columbia. 

1833,  b.  c.  Lath  by  Godolphin. 
1836,  br.  f.  Kate  Seaton  by  Argyle. 
Pocahontas  died  1837,  in  foal  to  Rowton. 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  73 

Ch.  m.  Rushlight,  bred  in  1830  by  James  Jackson,  Esq.,  by 
Sir  Archy,  dam  Pigeon  by  Pacolet,  etc. 

1837,  b.  c.  by  Chateau  Margaux,  died  two  years  old. 

1839,  c.  by  Priam. 

1 84 1,  b.  f.  by  Priam. 

Rushlight  given  Colonel  Noland  after  weaning  the  Priam  f. 
Bay  Maria,  bred  in  1831  by  Mr.  Hall  of  New  York,  got  by 
Eclipse  out  of  Lady  Lightfoot,  etc.,  etc. 

1838,  b.  f.  Ruby  by  Rowton. 

1840,  b.  f.  Cornelian  by  Priam. 

1 841,  bl.  f.  Sapphire  by  Monarch. 

1842,  b.  c.  by  Sovereign. 

Maria  West,  dam  of  Wagner,  etc.,  got  by  Marion  out  of  Elly 
Crump  by  Citizen,  etc.,  her  produce. 
1836,  ch.  f.  Fanny  by  Eclipse. 

1839,  b.  f.  Trinket  by  Andrew. 

1840,  b.  f.  Chicora  by  Priam. 

1841,  bl.  c.  by  Monarch. 

1842,  b.  c.  by  Sovereign. 

Imported  Delphine  by  Whisker  out  of  My  Lady,  etc.,  dam 
of  Monarch  and  The  Queen,  etc. 

1839,  ch.  c.  Herald  by  Plenipo. 

1840,  twins  by  Hybiscus,  dead. 

1 84 1,  missed  to  Priam. 

1842,  twins  by  Sovereign,  dead. 

Imported  Emily,  bred  as  above  in  1842  ;  ch.  f.  by  Boston. 

Imported  m.  Lucy  and  Kitty  Heath,  by  Eclipse,  were  at  one 
time  in  Kentucky  breeding  on  shares.  Penelope,  in  Georgia, 
and  Milliner,  in  South  Carolina,  also  breeding  on  shares. 

Charlotte  Russe,  a  distinguished  race  mare,  died,  leaving  no 
produce. 


74  Tbe  American  Tboroiigbhred 

Monarch,  on  his  return  from  Kentucky,  was 
put  in  training,  but  only  as  an  experiment.  He 
was  brought  back  from  Kentucky  the  beginning 
of  1842,  and  took  his  old  stand  at  the  Woodlands, 
serving  mares  at  the  low  charge  of  ;^6o  the  sea- 
son. The  colonel  in  this,  as  in  all  his  other 
arrangements,  turned  his  passion  for  the  turf  to 
an  excellent  account,  bringing  this  very  superior 
horse  within  the  means  of  every  breeder,  in  and 
out  of  South  Carolina,  who  may  have  owned  a 
well-bred  mare.  In  proportion  to  the  means  of 
two  noble  men,  his  was  almost  equal  to  the  gener- 
osity of  the  noble  Earl  of  Egremont,  of  whom  it 
was  said  that  he  every  season  allowed  to  his 
tenantry  and  poor  neighbors  the  free  use  of  one 
of  his  stallions. 

Another  instance  of  Colonel  Hampton's  char- 
acteristic liberality  may  be  mentioned  —  the  pres- 
entation of  a  plate  to  the  Columbia  Jockey 
Club,  to  secure  an  annual  race  over  that  course, 
two-mile  heats,  provided  the  entrances  equal  the 
value  of  the  plate,  ^500.  It  was  won  by  Char- 
lotte Russe,  the  entry  of  the  liberal  donor  him- 
self, and  for  a  number  of  years  continued  in  his 
possession.  In  compliment  to  the  donor,  it  was 
called  "  The  Hampton  Plate  "  by  the  club. 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  75 

On  another  occasion,  at  Charleston,  February 
28,  1837,  Colonel  Hampton  presented  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  Citizens'  Purse,  $1200,  won  by  his 
ch.  f.  Kitty  Heath,  to  the  South  Carolina  Jockey 
Club,  to  aid  in  completing  certain  improvements 
then  in  progress  over  the  Washington  Course. 

The  most  interesting  event  in  the  colonel's 
sporting  career  was  his  entry  of  Herald,  in  the 
great  Produce  Stake  at  Nashville,  and  the  subse- 
quent race,  1 843.  No  sporting  affair  in  the  country 
had  previously  produced  so  general  an  interest 
as  the  immense  stake  in  which  this  promising 
colt  was  engaged.  The  number  of  horses  entered, 
their  blood,  the  high  character  of  their  owners, 
the  large  amount  of  money  to  be  run  for,  could 
not  but  render  the  Peyton  Stakes  an  event  of  no 
ordinary  importance.  The  value  of  the  stakes 
was  higher  than  any  previously  run  for  in  this 
country;  higher,  even,  than  many  in  England 
(large  as  their  produce  stakes  always  are),  equal- 
ling in  amount  the  far-famed  Derby  and  Oaks 
at  Epsom,  and  St.  Leger  at  Doncaster. 

There  were  thirty  nominations.  On  the  day 
of  the  race  but  four  made  their  appearance  at 
the  post;  namely,  produce  of  imported  Eliza  by 
Rubens  and  imported  Glencoe,  entered  by  J.  Kirk- 


76  The  American  Thoroughbred 

man  of  Louisiana ;  produce  of  imported  Delphine, 
by  Whisker  and  Plenipo,  entered  by  Colonel  Hamp- 
ton ;  produce  of  Lilac,  by  imported  Leviathan  and 
imported  Skylark;  and  produce  of  Black  Maria, 
by  Eclipse  and  imported  Luzborough. 

The  race  resulted  in  favor  of  Mr.  Kirkman's 
filly,  which  he  consequently  named  Peytona,  in 
honor  of  Mr.  Peyton,  who  projected  the  race. 
Now,  although  Herald,  the  entry  of  Colonel 
Hampton,  did  not  win  the  race,  yet,  having  won 
the  second,  and  made  a  near  thing  of  it  at  the 
finish  of  the  fourth  heat,  it  is  reasonable  to  con- 
clude that,  had  the  circumstances  of  this  race 
been  reversed,  had  Peytona  been  compelled  to 
travel  instead  of  Herald,  subject  to  all  the  risks 
of  change  of  climate,  food,  water,  etc.,  the  result 
might  have  been  different.  To  atone  for  this 
disappointment,  however,  at  the  same  meeting 
at  Nashville  Colonel  Hampton  won  the  Trial 
Stakes,  two-mile  heats,  with  his  celebrated  filly 
Margaret  Wood  by  imported  Priam  out  of  Maria 
West,  beating  a  very  large  field,  and  securing  a 
large  amount,  sufiicient  to  reimburse  him  for 
the  heavy  expenses  incurred  in  sending  his 
stable  so  far  from  home,  and  the  large  entry, 
of  ^5000,  which  he  paid  for  Herald. 


X 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  77 

Stuart  was  Colonel  Hampton's  trainer  for 
many  years.  His  riders  were  Willis,  Gil  Patrick, 
Craig,  Stephen  Welch,  all  white  jockeys.  Among 
the  most  distinguished  of  his  black  jockeys  were 
Lewis,  from  Kentucky,  Fed,  Jim  Gloster,  Sandy, 
and  George,  from  Virginia.  The  celebrated  Joe 
Laird,  Fashion's  jockey,  with  Daniel,  were  once 
in  his  stable. 

In  all  his  doings  on  the  turf.  Colonel  Hampton 
was  actuated  by  that  noble  disinterestedness  and 
innate  love  of  sport,  "  for  itself  alone,"  which 
prompted  the  equestrians  of  old  to  start  their 
horses  on  the  Olympic  plains.  Honor  was  the 
sole  reward  of  the  victor  then :  a  single  crown  — 
of  laurels,  and  not  a  thousand  crowns — of  money. 

Governor  Butler  was  also  a  supporter  of  racing 
in  South  Carolina,  enjoying  a  high  reputation. 
He  generally  took  up  and  trained  three  or  four 
horses,  but  he  never  brought  to  the  post,  with 
but  one  exception,  anything  better  than  a  good 
second-rate  horse.  He  had  philosophy  enough, 
however,  to  reconcile  all  disappointments  to  him- 
self, under  the  conviction  that,  although  his  horses 
seldom  proved  favorites,  he  was  always  sure  to 
be  one  himself. 

Governor  Butler,  with   Mr.    McLean,  was  the 


78  The  American  Thoroughbred 

principal  owner  of  Argyle  in  the  days  of  his 
glory,  but  parted  with  two-thirds  of  him  before 
his  fatal  encounter  with  Bascombe,  at  Augusta, 
Georgia.  Colonel  Johnson  of  Virginia  purchased 
one-third  of  him,  and  Colonel  Hampton  the  other 
third.  So  confident  were  the  owners  of  Argyle 
that  he  must  win  (and  there  was  a  great  deal 
to  justify  this  belief  from  his  previous  trials), 
that  the  race  was  booked  as  a  certainty.  The 
calculations,  however,  that  are  made  on  such 
occasions  are  always  dangerous.  They  do  very 
well  as  long  as  Time  is  a  horse's  only  competitor, 
but  afford  no  ground  of  reasonable  conjecture  as 
to  what  another  and  a  better  horse  may  do.  The 
backers  of  Argyle  concluded  that  as  he  could  run 
his  first  heat  under  eight  minutes  with  a  strong 
pull,  it  was  not  probable  that  Bascombe  would 
beat  him. 

Colonel  Paul  Fitzsimons,  although  living  dur- 
ing the  last  years  of  his  life  on  the  Georgia  side 
of  the  line,  yet  from  the  strong  ties  of  birth  and 
blood  which  bound  him  to  South  Carolina,  was 
always  regarded  as  a  Carolinian.  He  was  "off 
and  on  "  the  turf  for  a  considerable  time,  both  in 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  and  was  a  very 
useful  member  of  the  different  clubs  in  the  tw^o 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  79 

states.  Colonel  Fitzsimons  lived  long  in  the 
memory  of  those  he  left  behind  him  as  a  liberal 
sportsman  and  hospitable  gentleman. 

Captain  Rowe  of  Orangeburg  deserves  honor- 
able mention  in  the  calendar  of  those  who  con- 
tributed to  maintain  the  high  standing  of  the 
Carolina  turf.  As  the  owner  of  Vertumnus  and 
many  others  that,  by  his  great  experience  and 
judgment  of  condition,  he  contrived  to  get  in  the 
best  possible  order,  he  was  always  hard  to  beat 
and  was  frequently  a  winner  at  all  distances. 
Not  long  before  his  death  he  met  with  a  serious 
loss  by  fire.  The  principal  buildings  on  his 
plantation  were  destroyed  —  among  the  number 
his  training  stable,  in  which  were  most  of  his 
valuable  horses.  All  that  were  in  the  stable 
were  burnt  or  seriously  injured.  He  lost  a  very 
fine  chestnut  filly  by  Rowton  out  of  Lady  Mor- 
gan on  this  disastrous  occasion. 

Blooded  Stock  belo7igmg  to  Captain  Donald 
Rowe,  Orangeburg,  S.C. 

I.  Sally  Richardson  was  got  by  Kosciusko, 
her  dam  by  Commerce,  her  grandam  by  Little 
Billy,  and  her  g.  g.  dam  by  imported  Bedford. 
Kosciusko  was  got  by  Sir  Archy,  his  dam  Lottery 


8o  The  American  Thoroughbred 

by  imported  Bedford,  out  of  the  imported  m.  An- 
vilina.  Commerce's  pedigree  is  not  at  hand ;  he 
was,  however,  a  thoroughbred  horse.  Little  Billy 
was  by  Ball's  Florizel,  his  dam  by  Bay  Yankee. 
Bedford's  pedigree  is  too  well  established  and 
known  to  need  further  notice. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  the  ancestors  of  Sally 
Richardson  were  very  successful  racers  at  all 
distances.  Commerce  was  a  distinguished  four- 
mile  horse,  beating  all  his  competitors  and  leav- 
ing the  turf  with  a  high  character, 

2.  Lady  Morgan  was  got  by  John  Richards, 
and  foaled  on  March  26,  1831  ;  her  dam 
Matchless  was  got  by  imported  Expedition,  her 
grandam  by  Bella  Badger's  Sir  Solomon,  her  g.  g. 
dam  Aurora  by  imported  Honest  John,  g.  g.  g. 
dam  Zelippa,  by  imported  Messenger,  g.  g.  g.  g. 
dam  Dido  by  imported  Bay  Richmond,  g.  g. 
g.  g.  g.  dam  Slamerkin  by  imported  Wildair, 
g.  g.  g.  g.  g.  g.  dam  by  imported  Old  Cub. 

3.  Leannah  a  b.  m.,  was  got  by  Seagull,  he  by 
old  Sir  Archy,  his  dam,  old  Nancy  Air,  by  im- 
ported Bedford ;  her  dam,  Leannah's,  by  Whipster, 
he  by  Cook's  Whip,  his  dam  by  Hambletonian,  his. 
Whipster's,  grandam  by  imported  Tup,  he  by 
Javelin,  etc.;  g.  g.  dam  by  Hall's   Union,  he  by 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  8i 

imported  Slim,  and  he  by  bay  Babraham,  etc. ; 
g.  g.  g.  dam  by  Ariel ;  Leannah's  g.  dam  Comet 
by  Colonel  Taylor's  Yorick,  her  g.  g.  dam  by  Gate- 
wood's  Shark,  he  by  imported  Shark ;  her  g.  g.  g. 
dam,  the  dam  of  the  Shark  mare,  was  brought 
to  Kentucky  from  Virginia  at  an  early  day. 
She  was  a  fine  mare,  and  was  highly  prized  for 
her  bloodlike  appearance  and  her  stock. 

4.  Belbroughton,  b.  c,  by  Pennoyer  out  of 
Sally  Mulrine,  foaled  in   1837. 

5.  Hardy  Howel  by  Pennoyer  out  of  Kitty 
by  Hephestion, 

Colonel  Ferguson  appeared  occasionally  on  the 
turf.  He  was  a  very  fine  rider  and  regarded  as 
an  excellent  judge  of  horseflesh.  The  following 
composed  his  principal  stock:  — 

Virginia  (formerly  Coquette),  bred  by  John 
Richardson,  Esq.,  foaled  in  181 3,  got  by  Vir- 
ginius  out  of  Dorocles  (by  the  imported  horse 
Shark),  grandam  by  the  imported  horse  Clockfast, 
who  was  also  the  dam  of  General  Hampton's 
Maria,  his  celebrated  gray  filly,  and  of  Vingt-un. 

Onea,  bred  by  James  Ferguson,  foaled  in  1821, 
got  by  Pocotaligo  out  of  Virginia,  grandam  Doro- 
cles, g.  g.  dam  Clockfast  Mare,  g.  g.  g.  dam  Bur- 
well's  Maria,  etc. 


82  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

Jessamine,  bred  by  James  Ferguson,  foaled  in 
1854,  got  by  Dockon  out  of  Virginia,  grandam 
Dorocles,  g.  g.  dam  Clockfast  Mare,  g.  g.  g.  dam 
Burwell's  Maria. 

Young  Peggy,  bred  by  J.  M.  Howell,  Esq., 
foaled  in  1825,  got  by  Kosciusko,  her  dam 
Trumpetta  by  Hephestion,  grandam  Peggy  by 
Bedford,  g.  g.  dam  imported  Peggy,  who  was 
bred  by  the  Earl  of  Clermont,  and  was  got  by 
Trumpator  out  of  his  Herod  Mare,  own  sister  to 
Postmaster. 

Eliza,  the  produce  of  Zephyrina  in  England, 
in  1833,  bred  by  the  Rev.  C.  Dodsley  of  Swimer- 
ton  Rectory,  got  by  Filho-da-Puta,  dam  Zephy- 
rina by  Middlethorpe  out  of  Pagoda  by  Sir 
Peter;  Rupee  by  Coriander,  etc.,  and  imported 
into  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  the  ship 
China,  Captain  Larmour,  in   1838. 

Eliza,  carrying  8  stone  4  pounds,  started  once 
in  England  as  a  three-year-old,  in  May,  1836, 
at  Chester,  and  was  beaten  by  Mr.  Prile's  ch.  c. 
Stafford,  8  stone  7  pounds,  by  Memnon  out  of 
Sarsaparilla. 

Irvinia,  bred  by  Colonel  Richard  Singleton, 
foaled  in  18 18,  got  by  Virginius  out  of  Pandora, 
by    Belair,   grandam   by    Soldier,   g.  g.  dam    by 


Early  Owners  were  Gentlemen  ^z 

Oscar,  g.  g.  g.  dam  by  Merry  Tom,  g.  g.  g.  g. 
dam  by  Crawford,  out  of  a  Silvereye  mare. 

Jessamine,  the  produce  of  Virginia  in  1824, 
was  owned  by  Mr.  Roach,  who  bred  her  to 
Argyle  and   Rowton. 

Isora,  the  produce  of  Virginia  in  1826,  was 
once  owned  by  Mr.  James  L.  Clark,  who  bred 
her  to  Godolphin ;  afterward  she  became  the 
property  of  General  Shelton,  of  Union  District, 
who  bred  her  to  Rowton. 

Callista,  the  produce  of  Virginia  in  1828,  was 
sold  to  General  Scott  of  Alabama,  and  produced 
a  good  racer  by  Potomac,  called  Romulus. 

Mr.  Sinkler  was  for  many  years  a  steady  and 
zealous  supporter  of  the  Carolina  turf ;  his  horses 
were  generally  trained  for  the  Pineville  and 
Charleston  races.  At  the  former  he  was  fre- 
quently a  winner,  and  at  the  latter  he  came  in 
for  a  tolerable  share  of  distinction.  Among  the 
horses  of  his  own  breeding,  Rienzi  and  Jeannette 
Berkley,  both  by  Bertrand  Jr.  out  of  Caro- 
lina by  Buzzard,  were  the  best.  He  had  in  his 
stable,  during  the  campaign  of  1830,  Santa  Anna, 
and  a  bay  filly  by  Humphrey  Clinker  out  of 
imported  Mania  by  Figaro.  Kate  Converse,  by 
Non  Plus  out  of  Daisy  by  Kosciusko,  ran  hon- 


84  The  American  Thoroughbred 

estly,  and  won  several  good  purses  for  him. 
This  superior  mare  passed  into  other  hands,  and 
formed  part  of  Mr.  Singleton's  stud.  Mr.  Sinkler 
was  fortunate  to  possess  one  of  the  most  faithful 
colored  grooms  in  South  Carolina.  In  his  attach- 
ment to  his  master  and  devotedness  to  his  true 
interests,  he  reminded  one  of  "  old  Cornelius  "  — 
not  the  centurion,  but  the  trainer  for  Colonel 
Singleton.  For  thirty-five  years,  no  one  in  the 
habit  of  attending  the  Charleston  races  but  was 
familiar  with  "old  Cornelius."  He  was  in  South 
Carolina  what  "old  Charles"  was  in  Virginia  — 
a  feature  in  the  crowd  upon  a  race  field. 

The  good  name  of  William  Lowndes  fre- 
quently appeared  among  the  Charleston  entries ; 
also  William  C.  Heyward,  J.  W.  Mazyck,  J.  E. 
Edings,  J.  B.  Moore,  Frank  Hampton,  P.  G. 
Stoney,  W.  H.  B.  Richardson,  Dr.  C.  Fitzsimons, 
J.  M.  Howell,  C.  T.  Howell,  John  Hunter,  and 
others,  who  possessed  the  means  and  the  leisure 
to  indulge  in  the  recreations  of  the  turf. 

To  Dr.  Irving,  the  historian  of  the  South  Caro- 
lina Jockey  Club,  the  breeding  interests  of  that 
state  owe  a  great  debt,  since  it  was  through  his 
efforts  that  so  complete  a  record  of  the  races  run 
and  of  the  breeding  studs  maintained  in  that  state 
is  due. 


CHAPTER   IV 

OLD    DOMINION    WAS    TURF    MOTHER 

It,  unhappily,  did  not  fall  to  the  part  of  Vir- 
ginia to  have  so  faithful  a  chronicler,  and,  while 
the  Old  Dominion  was  really  the  mother  of  the 
American  turf,  and  during  all  of  these  early  years 
was  giving  frequent  race  meetings  on  her  own 
soil,  much  of  the  information  which  we  have  of 
them,  especially  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War, 
is  so  meagre  as  to  be  hardly  worth  the  while  of 
credence. 

However,  there  came  a  time,  very  soon  after 
the  Revolution,  when  the  Fairfield,  Broad  Rock, 
Newmarket,  and  Tree  Hill  meetings  were  faith- 
fully reported,  and  the  new  course  at  the  city  of 
Washington  had  been  opened  in  such  public  way 
that  the  records  could  not  be  lost. 

It  is,  indeed,  in  beginning  to  write  the  story  of 
the  turf  in  Virginia  that  we  begin  to  tell  of  the 
greatest  achievements,  both  in  breeding  and  rac- 
ing lines,  which  had  been  attained  in  this  country 
by  any  single  state  up  to  the  time  of  the  Civil 
85 


86  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

War.  Already  in  this  volume  it  has  been  related 
how  the  first  thoroughbreds  came  to  this  country 
byway  of  the  colony  at  Jamestown.  The  plan- 
tation owners  continued  to  import  English  thor- 
oughbred stallions  and  mares,  buying  the  best 
which  could  be   had. 

Virginia,  in  years  immediately  preceding  the 
Revolution,  was  an  exceedingly  prosperous  com- 
munity. Agricultural  products,  and  particularly 
tobacco,  brought  high  prices  in  the  home  and 
foreign  markets,  and  the  gentlemen  who  presided 
in  such  princely  way  over  the  old  plantations 
along  the  Rappahannock  and  the  James  had 
ample  means  with  which  to  satisfy  their  almost 
luxuriant  tastes  and  to  procure  for  themselves, 
either  by  importation  or  home  breeding,  as  good 
horses  as  stood  upon  iron. 

Three  of  the  early  importations  from  England 
made  instant  impress  upon  the  stock  of  Virginia. 
They  were  Janus,  Jolly  Roger,  and  Fearnought. 
These  had  come  out  of  the  most  approved  Eng- 
lish families.  At  the  time  of  their  leaving  the 
old  country,  the  thoroughbred  was  still  a  com- 
paratively young  horse  in  England.  The  three 
original  line^  of  blood  which  combine  to  make 
the    English    thoroughbred  —  that    is,   the   lines 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother        87 

established  by  the  three  stallions,  the  Darley 
Arabian,  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  and  the  Byerly 
Turk  —  had  barely  been  given  time  to  be  grafted 
upon  each  other,  and  to  produce  that  running 
horse  which  was  the  superior  of  the  whole  world, 
before  such  as  Jolly  Roger,  Fearnought,  and 
Janus  were  being  brought  to  Virginia  by  the  old 
cavalier  families. 

These  animals  were  bred  to  the  mares  of  best 
pedigree  at  home,  and  to  English  mares  that  were 
imported  by  their  owners.  And  gradually  there 
grew  up  in  the  old  state  the  first  of  the  American 
thoroughbreds. 

Probably  thirty  recorded  thoroughbred  stallions 
had  been  bought  abroad  and  shipped  to  Virginia, 
when  Colonel  Hoomes,  who  was  the  leader  of  all 
those  old-time  gentlemen  in  his  love  for  the 
thoroughbred  and  his  labors  for  the  improvement 
of  the  blood  horse  of  Virginia,  imported,  in  1 799, 
an  animal  that  was  destined  to  become  the  most 
impressive  stallion  that  ever  landed  upon  Ameri- 
can shores,  and  who  was  to  found  a  family  of 
American  race-horses,  among  which  there  have 
been  individuals  perhaps  as  great  in  perfection  of 
size,  conformation,  color,  disposition,  speed,  and 
endurance  as  ever  lived  in  any  land. 


88  The  American  Thoroughbred 

That  horse  was  Diomed.  From  the  time  of 
his  landing,  it  might  be  said  that  the  American 
turf,  as  American,  had  its  inception.  And  here  it 
might  be  made  a  matter  of  curious  note  that  the 
coming  of  Diomed  to  this  country  was  almost  an 
accident.  Had  Colonel  Hoomes  paid  attention 
to  the  counsels  of  his  agent  in  England,  or  to  the 
friendly  advice  of  horsemen  abroad,  Diomed  would 
have  lived  and  died  in  his  own  land,  and  we  should 
have  missed  in  ours  that  great  line  which  has  been 
like  a  golden  stream  running  down  across  the 
green  meadows  of  our  breeding  paddocks. 

Without  Diomed,  the  most  brilliant  pages  of 
our  turf  story  could  never  have  been  written. 
Taking  him  all  in  all,  Diomed,  as  a  progenitor  of 
the  American  race-horse,  stands  alone,  towering 
magnificently  in  accomplishment  above  all  others 
of  his  own  time,  and  over  those  that  have  come 
after  him,  either  by  importation  or  home  product. 
He  is  Diomed,  one  and  kingly. 

The  full  history  of  this  horse  has  been  clearly 
and  definitely  written  by  the  gentleman  of  Vir- 
ginia who  had  the  care  of  him.  It  is  worth  the 
while  of  your  perusal  to  know  the  detail  of  a  life 
lived  by  an  animal  whose  blood  courses  through 
that   of    almost    every    thoroughbred    upon    the 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother        89 

American  turf  to-day.  The  story  of  him  is 
this :  — 

Diomed,  a  chestnut  horse,  foaled  in  1777,  was 
bred  by  the  Hon.  Richard  Vernon  of  New- 
market, and  sold  to  Sir  Thomas  Charles  Bunbury, 
of  whom  he  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  Lamb  & 
Younger,  for  the  sum  of  50  guineas,  and  im- 
ported into  Virginia  in  the  spring  of  1 798,  when 
twenty-one  years  old. 

He  finished,  at  Bowling  Green,  the  season 
which  had  been  then  commenced  by  Cormorant. 
At  Newmarket  Fall  races,  of  that  year,  he  was 
purchased  of  Colonel  Hoomes  by  Colonel  M. 
Selden,  who  was  afterwards  joined  in  the  pur- 
chase by  Thomas  Goode,  Esq.  He  made  the  two 
next  seasons  at  Mr.  Goode's  in  Chesterfield. 

Diomed  was  got  by  Florizel,  out  of  a  Spectator 
mare  (the  dam  of  Pastorella,  Fame,  Fancy,  etc.), 
her  dam  (sister  to  Horatius)  by  Blank ;  grandam 
(Feather's  dam,  and  full  sister  to  the  grandam  of 
Cygnet  and  Blossom)  by  Childers  out  of  Miss 
Belvoir  by  Gray  Grantham ;  Paget  Turk,  Betty 
Percival  by  Leed's  Arabian. 

At  Newmarket,  second  spring  meeting,  1780, 
Diomed  won  a  sweepstakes,  of  500  guineas  each 
half   forfeit   (six   subscribers),    8   stone,   ditch-in ; 


90  The  American  Tborougbbred 

beating  Antagonist,  Diadem,  and  Savannah,  — 
betting,  two  to  one  against  Savannah,  five  to 
two  against  Diomed,  and  seven  to  two  against 
Diadem. 

At  Epsom,  May  4,  he  won  the  Derby  stakes, 
of  50  guineas  each,  half  forfeit  (thirty-six  sub- 
scribers), 8  stone  the  last  mile  of  the  course ;  beat- 
ing Boudroo,  Spitfire,  Wotton,  Drone,  Polydore, 
Diadem,  Bay  Bolton,  and  a  Gimcrack  colt  out 
of  Wolsey's  dam,  —  six  to  four  against  Diomed, 
four  to  one  against  Boudroo,  and  seven  to  one 
against  Spitfire. 

At  Newmarket,  July  meeting,  he  walked  over 
for  a  sweepstakes,  of  100  guineas  each  (seven 
subscribers),  across  the  flat. 

On  Tuesday,  in  the  first  October  meeting,  for 
a  sweepstakes  of  100  guineas  each,  ditch-in, 
received  forfeit  from  Lord  Bolingbroke's  King 
William  by  Herod  out  of  Mad  Cap ;  the  duke 
of  Bolton's  Bay  Bolton  ;  Lord  Derby's  Aladdin 
by  Herod;  and  Lord  Grosvenor's  roan  filly  by 
Matchem. 

On  the  following  day  he  won  the  Perram  plate, 
of  ^30,  with  ^50  added,  for  three-year-olds ;  8 
stone  7  pounds,  ditch-in ;  beating  Rover  by 
Herod ;     Marigold     by     Herod ;     John-a-Nokes, 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother        91 

King  William,  Catch,  Geneva,  and  four  others, 
—  three  to  one  on  Diomed,  and  four  to  one  on 
King  William. 

And  on  Friday  following  he  received  forfeit 
from  Lord  Milsintown's  Catalpa  by  Turf ;  8  stone 
each,  R.  M.  100  guineas. 

In  the  second  October  meeting,  1780,  he  won 
a  subscription  of  20  guineas  each,  for  three- 
year-olds  (eighteen  subscribers) :  colts  8  stone, 
fillies  7  stone  12  pounds  (the  winner  of  the  Per- 
ram  plate  4  pounds  extra),  B.  M. ;  beating  Teto- 
tum,  Dutchess,  Florus,  and  Aladdin,  —  four  to 
one  on  Diomed. 

At  Newmarket,  Craven  Meeting,  1781,  Diomed 
received  forfeit  from  Mr.  Stapleton's  Savannah, 
8  stone  each,  B.  C.  500  guineas,  half  forfeit. 

On  Saturday,  in  the  first  spring  meeting,  he 
won  the  Fortescue  stakes,  of  30  guineas  each 
(eleven  subscribers) ;  8  stone  7  pounds,  ditch-in ; 
beating  Spitfire,  King  William,  Oculator,  Urtica, 
and  Commis,  —  two  to  one  on  Diomed. 

On  Monday,  in  the  second  spring  meeting, 
he  won  the  Claret  stakes,  of  200  guineas  each, 
half  forfeit,  and  a  hogshead  of  claret  each,  p.  p. 
(fourteen  subscribers);  8  stone  7  pounds  B.  C, 
beating  Antagonist  (who  received  two  hogsheads 


92  The  American  Thoroughbred 

of  claret),  Arske,  Bishop  Blaze,  Rodney,  Diadem, 
and  Oculator,  —  five  to  two  against  Rodney, 
three  to  one  against  Antagonist,  four  to  one 
against  Diomed,  and  eight  to  one  against 
Arske. 

At  Nottingham,  he  was  beaten,  for  the  first 
time,  by  Fortitude ;  and  at  Newmarket,  in  Oc- 
tober, by  Boudroo. 

In  1782  he  did  not  start,  but  paid  a  forfeit  to 
Crop. 

At  Guildford,  June  10,  1783,  Diomed  won  the 
king's  plate,  12  stone,  four-mile  heats;  beating 
Mr.  Bank's  Lottery  by  Goldfinder,  —  seven  to  four 
on  Diomed.  After  the  first  heat,  three  to  one  on 
Lottery ;  after  the  second  heat,  six  to  four  on 
Diomed. 

Diomed  was  beaten  six  times  in  1783,  viz.  at 
Newmarket,  for  the  Craven  stakes,  won  by  Al- 
aric ;  in  the  first  spring  meeting,  for  the  ^50 
plate,  by  Laburnum  and  Drone;  also,  for  the 
king's  plate,  by  Drone;  at  Ascot  Heath  by  Sol- 
dier and  Oliver  Cromwell ;  at  Winchester,  for  the 
king's  plate,  by  Anvil ;  and  at  Lewes,  for  the 
king's  plate,  by  Mercury  and  Diadem.  He  fell 
lame  in  running  at  Winchester,  and  was  put  out 
of  training.     The  above  were  all  of  his  engage- 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother        93 

ments ;  from  which  it  will  appear  that  he  was 
beaten  eight  times  and  paid  one  forfeit,  and 
won  ten  races  and  received  one  forfeit.  He 
won,  when  three  years  old,  seven  races,  without 
losing  one ;  among  these  were  the  Derby  stakes, 
at  Epsom,  and  a  sweepstakes  of  500  guineas  each 
at  Newmarket.  This  unvarying  success  gave 
him  great  eclat  and  reputation  as  a  race-horse. 
After  this  he  ran  many  races,  with  indifferent 
success. 

Diomed  commenced  covering  in  England,  in 
1 785,  at  5  guineas,  and  in  1 789  he  was  raised  to 
10  guineas.  Some  of  his  colts  proving  obstinate 
and  restive,  he  went  out  of  fashion  as  a  stallion, 
having  covered  his  last  season,  in  1798,  at  the 
reduced  price  of  2  guineas.  He  got  many  win- 
ners in  England,  and  several  of  the  best  rimners 
of  their  days  sprung  from  his  loins. 

After  the  season  of  1798  Sir  T.  Charles  Bun- 
bury  sold  Diomed  for  50  guineas;  but,  after  land- 
ing in  America,  he  was  resold  for  1000  or  1200 
guineas.  He  stood  several  seasons  in  Virginia, 
where  there  is  scarcely  a  good  horse  without  a 
cross  of  himself  or  one  of  his  descendants. 

Some  of  the  most  distinguished  of  his  get  in 
England  were :  — 


94 


The  American  Tbowugbbred 


FOALED 

FOALED 

Tortoise     .... 

1786 

Robin  Gray    .     . 

.        1790' 

David 

1790 

Cedar    .... 

1793 

Hermione  .... 

1780 

Greyhound     .     . 

.        1794 

Champion .... 

I790I 

Poplar  .... 

1 795  J 

Hero 

1792 

B.  c.  out  of  Dax 

•     1791 

Sister  to  Champion 

Monkey     .     .     . 

and  Hero   .     .     . 

1 793  J 

Montezuma    .     . 

1786 

Fanny  

1790 

Quetlavaca     .     . 

1788 

B.  c.  out  of  Carina  . 

1790 

Guatimozin     .     . 

1790 

Hackabuk       .     .     . 

1791 

Ch.  f.,  sister  to  do. 

1791 

F.  out  of  Active  .     . 

1790 

Ch.  c.  out  of  Grena 

Ch.    c.    out    of    Sir 

dier's  dam  .     . 

1790 

Peter's  sister    .     . 

1794 

C.outofFleacatchei 

•     1787- 

Whiskey     .... 

1789 

Sister  to  do.    .     . 

1790 

Little  Pickle  .     .     . 

1790 

Sir  Charles,  brothei 

Dam  of  Whiskey      . 

1785 

to  do.     .     .     . 

1791 

Gray   Diomed,   one 

Wrangler,  do. 

.     1794. 

of  the  most  cele- 

Brother to  Butterfly 

1790 

brated  horses  that 

Michael     .     .     . 

1790 

ever  ran  in  Eng- 

C. out  of  Crane  . 

1793 

land  ;     afterward 

B.  f.  out  of  Danae 

.     1788 

ran  with  such  suc- 

Ch. f.  Desdemona 

.     1788 

cess  in  Russia  that 

Rosabella's  dam  . 

•     1793 

several  of  his  stock 

Speculator      .     . 

1794 

were  sent  for  from 

Giantess     .     .     . 

.     1788- 

that  empire      .     . 

1786 

Young  Giantess  . 

1790 

Ch.  f.,  sister  to  Gray 

Pamela.     .     .     . 

•     179I'' 

Diomed      .     .     . 

1788 

Tom      .... 

.     1790 

Ch.    c,   brother    to 

Anthony    .     .     . 

•     1789] 

Gray  Diomed  .     . 

1789 

Sister  to  do.   .     . 

1 790  J 

Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother        95 


Glaucus     .     .     . 

Lais 

Brother  to  do.  . 
Foreigner  .  .  . 
Sister  to  do.  (Snug's 

dam)      .     .     . 
Ch.  f.  out  of  Isabel 
Brother  to  Amazon 
Amazon     .     .     . 
Sister  to  do.    .     . 
B.  f.  out  of  Cheese 

cake  .... 
Ch.  f   out   of  Mrs, 

Siddons .     .     , 


FOALED 
1786^ 
1787  j. 

1789  J 
1790 


1793 
1793 

1792  I 

1 793  J 
1791 
1792 


Brother  to  Venture 
Ch.  f.  out  of  Mop 

squeezer  .  . 
Young  Noisette  . 
B.  c.  out  of  Rosaletta 
Aramanthe 
Valiant.  .  .  , 
Victor  .... 
Brother  to  do.  , 
B.  f.  out  of  Temper 

ance .... 
Laurentina  .  . 
B.  c.  out  of  Tulip 


FOALED 
1794 

1790 
1789 
1790 

1788 

1785] 
1786  I 
I787J 

1788 
1794 
1794 


In  America,  the  most  renowned  of  his  progeny 
were :  — 

FOALED 

Sir  Archy ;  dam  by  Rockingham  ;  bred  by  Colonel  Tayloe ; 

afterward  owned  and  run  by  W.  R.  Johnson,  Esq.        1805 

Florizel ;  dam  by  Shar ;  in  1 805  beat  Peacemaker,  the 

celebrated  match,  four-mile  heats  —  Major  Ball      .     1802 

Potomac,  ran  and  won  at  Petersburg,  two  miles,  in 
3  minutes  43  seconds ;  the  quickest  race  run  in 
America  —  Mr.  Wilkes 1901 

Peacemaker ;  bred  by  Colonel  Hoomes ;  afterward  owned 

and  run  by  Colonel  Tayloe 1801 

Top-Gallant ;  dam  by  Shark  —  Mr.  Clayton  ;  afterward 

owned  and  run  by  Colonel  Tayloe  .         .         .1801 

Hamlintonian ;  dam  by  Shark  —  Mr.  Hamlin ;  after- 
ward owned  and  run  by  Colonel  Tayloe  .         .     1801 


96  The  American  Thoroughbred 

FOALED 

Vingt-un  ;  dam  by  Clockfast  (sold,  in  1803,  for  $2750)  ; 

General  Wade  Hampton  and  Governor  Ed.  Lloyd  ,  1801 
Stump  the  Dealer;  dam  by  Clockfast  —  W,  R.  Johnson 

and  Ralph  Warmeley,  Esq 1801 

Duroc  ;  dam  by  Gray  Diomed  —  Wade  Mosby,  Esq.  — 

W.  M.  and  Mr.  Badger 1806 

Hampton ;  dam  by  Gray  Diomed — General  Hampton  — 

Mr.  J.  V.  Bond 1806 

Commodore  Truxton  —  General  Andrew  Jackson  .     1806 

The  dam  of  Henry 1806 

And  the  dam  of  Eliza  White 1806 


Lavinia,  Lady  Chesterfield,  Rusty  Robin,  Mon- 
ticello,  Wring-jaw,  Miss  Jefferson,  Wragland's 
Diomed,  Perkins's  Diomed,  the  dam  of  Roxana, 
Fitz  Diomed,  Wonder,  St.  Tammany;  the  dam  of 
Bobtail,  Herod,  Tryon,  Madison,  Constitution, 
Wrangler,  Superior  Hornet,  Sting,  Minerva,  Vir- 
ginius;  dams  of  Sir  Alfred,  Henry,  Sir  Walter, 
Diomed,  Eagle,  Shylock  ;  Bolivar's  grandam.  Cor- 
poral Trim's  dam,  Clifton's  dam. 

Diomed  was  about  fifteen  hands  three  inches 
high ;  a  little  dish-faced ;  rather  straight  in  the 
hocks,  and  bent  a  little  too  much  in  his  hind 
fetlocks.  He  was  a  fine,  clear  chestnut,  without 
white,  except  a  small 'touch  on  one  of  his  hind 
heels,  scarcely  perceptible. 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother        97 

y  Diomed  died  in  1808,  aged  thirty-one  years. 

The  result  of  Diomed's  first  season  in  the  stud 
in  Virginia  was  such  that  he  immediately  domi- 
nated all  those  stallions  that  had  been  imported 
before  him.  By  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  this 
country  the  blood  of  Jolly  Roger,  old  Fear- 
nought, Janus,  and  others  had  been  pretty  thor- 
oughly disseminated,  and,  in  addition,  such  a 
number  of  thoroughbred  mares  had  been  im- 
ported from  England  that,  although  Diomed  was 
mated  to  many  matrons  of  poor  lineage,  such  a 
sufficient  number  of  females  of  high  degree  were 
brought  to  his  court  that  he  was  soon  sending 
to  the  turf  of  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  the  Caro- 
linas  practically  all  of  the  great  winners,  and  con- 
tinued to  do  so  through  ten  years. 

Although  he  was  twenty-two  years  old  when 
brought  to  this  country,  he  had  nine  years  of 
usefulness  in  the  Old  Dominion  before  he  died, 
the  property  of  Colonel  Hoomes. 

There  was  almost  as  much  mourning  in  the 
old  colony  land  over  his  demise  as  there  was  at 
the  death  of  George  Washington,  One  cannot, 
in  this  more  commercial  day,  quite  come  to  an 
understanding  of  how  much  these  people  of  the 
colonial  times  loved  their  horses  and  what  per- 


98  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

sonal  devotion  was  given  to  them  by  high-bred 
ladies  and  gentlemen.  If  one  did  not  respect 
the  gentler  emotions  of  humanity  too  much  to 
do  so,  one  would  laugh  at  reading  some  of  the 
old  prints  concerning  these  turf  heroes  that  had 
such  intimate  association  with  the  cavalier  fam- 
ilies. The  regard  entertained  for  them  was 
scarcely  less  tender  and  less  demonstrative  than 
that  held  for  the  people  of  the  family.  The 
Virginians  regarded  the  death  of  Diomed,  though 
truly,  counted  by  years  and  accomplishments,  he 
had  run  his  race,  as  a  great  national  catastrophe. 
Their  sorrow  was  assuaged  only  by  the  thought 
that  he  had  left  behind  him  numerous  sons  who 
should  carry  on  the  glories  of  the  family. 

And  indeed,  in  one  of  these  sons,  this  Sir 
Archy,  who  was  by  the  records  the  best  race- 
horse by  Diomed,  he  left  one  who  was  hardly 
less,  if  any  less,  great  than  himself.  And  Sir 
Archy  went  into  the  affections  of  the  Virginians 
to  take  the  place  of  their  lost  Diomed.  During 
the  years  which  he  lived  he  caused  the  fame 
of  the  Diomed  line  of  blood  to  be  carried  to  the 
extreme  northern  and  southern  and  western 
points  where  racing  of  the  thoroughbred  horse 
was  known.     Indeed,  it  might  be   said   that  the 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother        99 

Diomed  blood  was  local  in  the  sense  that  he 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Virginia,  and  few  of  his 
immediate  descendants  went  out  of  Virginia  into 
alien  hands.  But  Sir  Archy,  living  a  long  and 
vigorous  life,  left  such  an  amount  of  his  blood 
behind  him,  which  had  become  so  highly  valued, 
that  when  it  came  time  for  him  to  die,  his  sons 
and  daughters  had  been  scattered  from  Long 
Island  on  the  north  to  Louisiana,  Alabama,  and 
Georgia  on  the  south.  There  was  a  strain  of 
Sir  Archy,  through  a  son  or  a  daughter,  on  the 
farm  of  every  breeder,  of  however  small  preten- 
sions, who  lived  in  America.  Not  to  have  some 
of  the  Sir  Archy  blood  was  not  to  be  really  a 
thoroughbred  breeder. 

Diomed  sired  so  many  performers  of  degree 
that  the  mention  of  them  in  brief,  as  is  given 
here,  is  as  far  as  one  might  go.  But  it  is  impos- 
sible to  leave  Sir  Archy  without  giving  him,  in 
any  history  of  the  turf,  as  full,  or  fuller,  notice  as 
his  sire,  Diomed.  Diomed  was  essentially  Eng- 
lish. Sir  Archy  was  English  in  so  far  as  his 
blood  lines  went ;  but  he  was  foaled,  ran  his  races, 
stood,  and  died  on  American  soil,  and  he  was 
perhaps  the  first  horse  of  grandeur  that  might 
have   been  called  American.      He  was   the    first 


loo  The  American  Tborougbhred 

race-horse  of  his  day  and  the  first  progenitor  of 
speed  and  bottom  after  he   retired   to  the   stud. 

So,  if  it  appear  tedious,  the  reader  may  par- 
don this  extended  story  of  Sir  Archy  because 
he  is  such  an  important  cog  in  the  great  wheel 
that  he  seems  to  be  almost  its  motive  power  in 
America. 

Sir  Archy  was  bred  by  Colonel  Archibald 
Randolph  and  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  as  their  joint 
property.  He  was  foaled  on  James  River  in 
1805,  was  by  imported  Diomed  out  of  imported 
Castianira  by  Rockingham.  Imported  Casti- 
anira,  by  Rockingham,  dam  Tabitha  by  Tren- 
tham,  was  bred  by  Mr.  Popham,  and  was  foaled 
in  1796,  and  imported  in  the  Tyne,  to  Norfolk, 
Virginia,  June,  1799,  by  Colonel  John  Tayloe. 
She  was  a  large  brown  mare,  without  white 
except  on  her  right  hind  pastern.  Her  career 
on  the  turf  was  short.  There  is  record  of  only 
one  race  in  which  she  ran,  which  was  a  sweep- 
stakes. May  20,  1800,  over  the  Fairfield  Course, 
at  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  which  she  beat  a 
noted  colt  of  Mr.  Haskins,  and  others.  Her 
sire,  Rockingham,  was  one  of  the  most  noted 
horses  of  England.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  Went- 
worth,  foaled  in  1781,  by  Highflyer  out  of  Purity 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  MotJjer       loi 

by  Matchem.  Purity  was  out  of  Mr.  Pratt's 
famous  Squirt  Mare  by  Squirt,  sire  of  Marske 
and  Syphon,  and  grandsire  of  Eclipse,  showing 
a  happy  union  of  the  three  great  lines  of  Herod, 
Matchem,  and  Eclipse.  Rockingham  started 
thirty-five  times,  won  twenty-seven,  walked  over 
three  times,  received  forfeit  once,  lost  four,  and 
paid  forfeit  twice.  Most  of  the  races  won  by 
Rockingham  were  over  a  distance  of  ground 
varying  from  three  to  four  miles.  He  stood 
high  as  a  stallion  and  sired  many  noted  winners, 
such  as  Patriot,  Bennington,  Susannah,  Arabella, 
Red  Cap,  Euphrasia,  and  a  host  of  others. 

Sir  Archy  was  a  rich  bay  in  color,  having  no 
white  about  him  except  on  his  right  hind  pastern. 
He  was  a  horse  of  fine  size,  being  full  sixteen 
hands  high,  an  inch  taller  than  his  English  sire, 
with  great  power  and  substance.  His  shoulders 
were  very  deep,  mounting  up  to  the  top  of  the 
withers  and  obliquely  inclined.  His  girth  was 
full  and  deep,  back  short  and  strong,  thighs 
and  arms  long  and  muscular,  with  good  bone. 
His  front  appearance  was  strikingly  fine,  his 
head  and  neck  beautifully  formed,  the  neck  rising 
gracefully  but  powerfully  out  of  his  withers. 

Sir  Archy 's  first  appearance  upon  the  turf  was 


I02  The  American  Thoroughbred 

in  the  fall  of  1808,  for  the  Great  Stakes,  two-mile 
heats,  at  Fairfield,  Richmond,  Va.  Some  seven 
started.  Won  by  True  Blue,  beating  Sir  Archy, 
Wrangler,  Palafox,  Virginius,  Molock,  and  one 
other.  No  time  given.  He  was  again  beaten  at 
Washington  City,  by  Bright  Phoebus  by  Mes- 
senger, full  sister  to  Miller's  Damsel,  Eclipse's 
dam.  Distance  and  time  not  given.  In  both  of 
these  races  he  was  laboring  under  distemper,  and 
that  quick  observer,  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson, 
purchased  him  for  $1500. 

At  four  years  old,  in  his  first  race  at  Fairfield, 
for  the  Annual  Post  Stakes,  he  was  successful 
against  a  good  field.  Distance  and  time  not 
given. 

In  the  following  week  Sir  Archy  and  Wrangler 
met  for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  four-mile  heats, 
at  Newmarket.  Won  by  Wrangler.  The  last 
heat  was  so  close  that  the  judges  hesitated  some 
time  before  awarding  it  to  Wrangler.  Colonel 
William  R.  Johnson,  the  owner  of  Sir  Archy,  was 
so  set  upon  his  champion  that  he  then  and  there 
proposed  to  Colonel  Selden,  the  owner  of  Wran- 
gler, a  match  between  the  horses  for  another  heat. 
And  amidst  the  great  excitement  of  the  time 
Colonel  Selden  was  forced   to  decline   the  chal- 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother       103 

lenge  because  Wrangler  was  so  distressed  by  his 
last  effort. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  at  Richmond, 
Virginia,  Sir  Archy,  Wrangler,  Ratray,  Tom 
Tough,  and  Minerva  were  entered  for  the  Jockey 
Club  Purse,  four-mile  heats.  The  betting  was 
high  between  Sir  Archy  and  Wrangler.  As  the 
brilliant  assemblage  which  had  gathered  to  wit- 
ness the  event  expected.  Sir  Archy  and  Wrangler 
had  the  running  between  them.  At  the  very  start 
they  both  went  off  at  their  speed.  Wrangler  in  the 
track  (next  the  pole),  which  he  maintained  nearly 
two  miles,  when  Sir  Archy  drove  up  to  him  and 
passed  him  by  but  a  short  distance.  Soon  after 
that  it  was  seen  that  Sir  Archy  must  certainly 
win  if  he  did  not  tire  at  the  pace  which  they  were 
going.  Then  the  murmurings  began  to  well  up 
from  the  crowd,  and  the  eager  sightseers  on  the 
ground  pressed  in  on  the  course  till  there  was 
scarce  room  for  the  horses  to  get  through. 

Wrangler  would  not  give  up  without  a  struggle. 
He  continued  his  efforts  to  catch  Sir  Archy  to 
the  half-mile  pole  in  the  third  mile.  And  then, 
fast  and  game  a  horse  as  he  was,  he  was  forced  to 
give  it  up  for  the  reason  that  he  could  not  main- 
tain the   pace  for  so   terrible  a  distance  as  four 


I04  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

miles.  The  other  three  horses  were  entirely  out 
of  the  race  after  the  first  two  miles. 

When  Wrangler  yielded  to  the  bay  in  front  of 
him,  Sir  Archy  continued  at  the  same  rate  of 
speed  for  half  a  mile  farther,  and  then  his  jockey 
boy  gradually  drew  up  and  finished  the  heat  and 
the  race  in  a  walk,  distancing  the  entire  field. 
The  first  two  miles  were  run  in  346.  Had  the 
exigencies  of  this  great  occasion  demanded  it,  in 
other  words,  had  Wrangler  been  competent  to 
force  Sir  Archy  to  continue  his  rate  of  speed 
for  the  full  distance  of  the  heat,  the  Virginia 
horse  would  have  made  a  four-mile  record  quicker 
than  the  distance  had  yet  been  run  in  turf 
history. 

The  next  week  Sir  Archy  won  the  Jockey 
Club  Purse  at  Newmarket  at  a  single  heat.  Dis- 
tance, time,  and  competitors  not  given. 

In  two  weeks  Sir  Archy  met  Blank  for  the 
Jockey  Club  Purse,  four-mile  heats,  at  Scotland 
Neck  Track,  Halifax,  North  Carolina.  They  went 
off  slowly  the  first  two  miles,  when  Blank  set  out 
to  make  it  a  race  from  thence  home.  Sir  Archy 
was  in  the  lead  some  few  feet,  and  maintained  his 
place,  winning  the  heat  by  more  than  a  length  in 
7.52.     The  second    heat   was    run    in    the    same 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother       105 

manner,  and  was  won  by  Sir  Archy  with  apparent 
ease,  in  8.00. 

The  next  morning  Sir  Archy  was  purchased 
by  Allen  J.  Davie  for  ^5000,  and  announced  as  a 
stallion.  Sir  Archy  made  five  seasons  as  the 
property  of  Allen  J.  Davie. 

The  retirement  of  Sir  Archy  would  not  have 
occurred  so  early  in  his  career  had  it  not  been 
that  there  was  no  horse  of  the  time  which  had 
speed  and  strength  enough  to  compete  with  him 
at  a  distance  of  four  miles,  or  four-mile  heats. 
After  this  race,  in  which  he  disposed  of  the  claims 
of  the  Carolina  horse  Blank,  Colonel  Johnson,  a 
true  sportsman,  offered  to  run  him  against  any 
horse  in  America,  four-mile  heats,  for  ^5000  a 
side.  None  were  found  to  take  up  the  gage 
thrown  to  them,  and  it  was  for  that  reason  that 
Colonel  Johnson  parted  with  him  and  allowed 
him  to  pass,  thus  in  the  height  of  his  career,  for 
service  in  the  stud. 

In  fact.  Blank  was  the  only  horse  then  living 
in  America  who  was  thought  to  have  any  chance 
with  Sir  Archy  at  all.  Blank  was  regarded  as  a 
horse  of  great  bottom,  but  he  had  not  Sir  Archy's 
speed.  There  is  no  doubt  that  he  suffered  much 
ill  effect  from  his  attempt  to  make  Sir  Archy  run 


io6  The  American  Thoroughbred 

the  second  heat  of  their  famous  race,  for  soon 
after  the  trial  of  speed  Blank  died.  He  was 
owned  and  trained  for  this  race  by  General 
Stephen  W.  Carny,  who  imported  his  sire, 
Citizen. 

As  was  natural.  Sir  Archy  was  so  well  con- 
sidered as  a  stock  horse  that  he  would  probably 
have  died  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Davie,  who  had 
found  in  him  a  great  bargain.  Mr.  Davie,  how- 
ever, fell  into  financial  difficulties,  and  mortgaged 
Sir  Archy  to  William  Amis.  In  time  Mr.  Davie 
was  not  able  to  pay  the  mortgage,  and  he  sur- 
rendered this  most  valuable  horse  in  discharge  of 
it.  William  Amis  presented  Sir  Archy  to  his 
son,  John  D.  Amis. 

The  splendid  horse  lived  to  the  advanced  age 
of  thirty-two  years,  dying  on  the  7th  of  June, 
1833.  During  the  time  that  he  was  in  the  stud 
he  was  said  to  have  earned  for  his  owners  $70,000. 
And  it  may  be  remembered  that  the  fees  in  his 
day  were  very  small  as  compared  with  those  which 
exist  now,  just  as  the  purses  in  those  times  were 
scarcely  more  valuable  than  the  ordinary  over- 
night gift  of  to-day.  John  D.  Amis  owned  him 
at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Of  all  the  horses  bred  in  our  country  up   to 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother       107 

this  period,  Sir  Archy  stood  highest  as  a  sire 
as  well  as  a  racing  animal.  He  got  more  dis- 
tinguished racers  than  any  horse  in  America, 
perhaps  in  the  world,  from  all  sorts  of  mares, 
with  all  kinds  of  pedigrees,  and  some  with  no 
pedigrees  at  all.  It  might  be  said  with  truth 
that  he  filled  a  hemisphere  with  his  get.  Sepa- 
rating him  from,  and  putting  him  above,  all 
other  sires  that  had  existed  in  America  was  the 
single  significant  fact  that,  mated  with  animals 
of  all  degrees,  he  yet  got  more  winners  and 
animals  of  capacity  than  any  horse  which  had 
preceded  him. 

The  most  distinguished  of  his  progeny  on  the 
turf  and  in  the  stud  were:  Timoleon,  Director, 
Lady  Lightfoot,  Vanity,  Reality,  Blank,  Virgin- 
ian, Stockholder,  Rattler,  Contention,  Kosciusko, 
Napoleon,  Sir  Charles,  Sir  William,  Muckle  John, 
Sumter,  Pacific,  Childers,  Betsey  Richards,  John 
Richards,  Henry,  Arab,  Janet  Bertrand,  Sir  Will- 
iam of  Transport,  Flirtilla,  Marian,  Gohanna, 
Sally  Hope,  Industry,  Crusader,  Kate  Kearney, 
Gabriella,  Charles  Kemble,  Black  Heath,  and 
Flirtilla  Jr. 

It  will  be  seen  that,  by  the  time  of  Sir  Archy, 
or  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  racing 


io8  The  American  Thoroughbred 

in  Virginia  was  at  the  very  highest  pitch  of 
popularity ;  and  the  Fairfield  Course  near  Rich- 
mond, and  the  Newmarket  Course  near  Peters- 
burg, the  Broad  Rock  Course,  and  the  Tree  Hill 
Track,  were  giving  great  public  entertainments 
through  the  agency  of  the  thoroughbred  that  were 
quite  as  distinguished  for  the  character  of  the 
attendance  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  as  those 
given  on  the  Washington  Course  at  Charleston. 

To  treat  in  like  manner  the  Virginia  patrons 
of  the  turf  as  those  of  the  turf  of  South  Carolina 
were  treated  would  require  such  lengthy  writing 
as  would  not  be  suited  to  this  volume.  Colonel 
John  Tayloe,  of  Mount  Airy,  Colonel  Hoomes  of 
Bowling  Green,  Colonel  Selden,  his  near  neigh- 
bor, the  Randolphs  (John  Randolph  of  Roanoke, 
and  William  Randolph  of  Cumberland),  the 
Washingtons,  the  Lees,  the  Lightfoots,  the  Car- 
ters, the  Fairfaxes,  —  all  these,  themselves  gentle- 
men of  the  very  best  breeding  and  of  private 
accomplishments,  the  real  F.  F.  V.'s,  were  the 
breeders  and  racing  men  of  the  time. 

A  perusal  of  the  races  of  Sir  Archy,  all  of  which 
are  authentic,  will  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the 
character  of  the  horses  then  existing  in  Virginia. 
Nearly    all    descended    directly    from    imported 


Old  Dominion  was  Turf  Mother       109 

English  sires.  So  that,  while  the  story  of  the 
early  Virginia  turf  is  more  or  less  fragmentary, 
from  the  very  time  of  the  Revolution  on  the  pub- 
lications of  that  time  teemed  with  the  news  of 
the  sport  that  was  being  carried  on  at  the  aristo- 
cratic courses. 


CHAPTER   V 

Maryland's  horses  and  horsemen 

Maryland,  being  made  up  of  a  population 
much  akin  by  sympathies  of  blood  and  beliefs 
with  the  people  of  Virginia,  was  not  long  in 
following  her  sister  state  into  that  particular 
field  of  gentlemanly  sport.  Like  Virginia, 
Maryland  was  an  early  and  a  constant  importer, 
though  she  brought  within  her  confines  nothing 
like  the  number  of  horses  which  came  to  Virginia. 

From  an  old  volume  of  the  Sporting  Maga- 
zine, which  was  published  in  the  early  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century  in  Baltimore,  is  taken  a  list 
and  descriptions  of  the  best-known  animals  that 
were  brought  to  Maryland  in  the  very  earliest 
days : — 

Badger,  gray,  imported  by  Governor  Eden  ;  the 
year  of  his  importation  is  not  known.  Governor 
Eden  commenced  his  administration  in  Maryland 
in  the  year  1769.  Badger  was  got  by  Lord 
Chedworth's  Bosphorus,  he  by  Babraham,  a  son 


Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen       ni 

of  the  Godolphin  Arabian ;  his  dam  by  Black 
and  all  Black,  grandam  by  Flying  Childers.  He 
was  sire  of  Governor  Ogle's  Badger,  a  capital 
racer  at  four-mile  heats. 

Dove,  a  beautiful  gray,  imported  by  Dr. 
Thomas  Hamilton  of  Prince  George's  County. 
He  was  got  by  Young  Cade,  his  dam  by  Teazer 
out  of  a  Gardiner  mare ;  Teazer  by  the  Bolton 
Starling.  The  year  of  his  importation  is  not 
known,  but  is  supposed  to  have  been  1761  or 
1762.  In  1763  he  started  for  the  purse  at  An- 
napolis, which  was  won  by  Mr.  Galloway's  Selim. 
His  colts  in  general  had  speed,  and  some  of 
them  both  speed  and  bottom.  Dove  was  sire  of 
Mr.  Macgill's  Nonpareil,  Primrose,  Thistle,  Mr. 
Beane's  Regulus,  the  grandam  of  Mr.  Hall's 
Union,  etc.  Nonpareil  was  a  capital  racer  when 
young,  but  being  of  slender  frame,  he  could  do 
nothing  when  carrying  full  weight.  He  was  the 
best  four-mile  horse  of  Dove's  get.  He  was 
never  beaten  until  he  met  Lath  in  Philadelphia. 

Figure  was  a  bay,  about  15J  hands  high,  foaled 
in  1757;  got  by  Gray  Figure,  and  he  by  Bashaw, 
afterward  called  Old  Standard.  Figure  was  im- 
ported by  Dr.  Hamilton  in  the  year  1765;  his 
dam  Mariamne  by  Partner.      In  1766  he  won  the 


112  The  American  Thoroughbred 

purse  at  Annapolis,  in  four  heats,  beating  Mr. 
Bullen's  horse  Tryall,  Mr.  Yeldell's  Chester,  etc. 
Chester  won  the  first  heat,  Figure  the  second, 
Tryall  the  third,  and  Figure  the  fourth,  beating 
Tryall  a  few  inches  only.  Tryall  lost  the  heat 
by  bad  riding.  In  May,  1768,  Figure  won  at 
Upper  Marlborough,  beating  Mr.  Galloway's 
Selim,  Mr.  Thornton's  Merryman,  and  Mr. 
Thomas's  Buckskin.  He  was  one  of  the  hand- 
somest and  best-formed  horses  ever  imported 
into  this  country.  His  colts  in  general  had  speed 
and  bottom.  He  was  sire  of  Colonel  Fiddeman's 
Gray  Figure,  Mr.  Petterson's  Rochester,  Mr. 
Williamson's  Brown  Figure,  Harmony,  the  dam 
of   Union,  etc.,  all  good  runners. 

Othello,  black,  foaled  1743,  bred  by  Lord  Port- 
more.  He  was  got  by  Crab  out  of  Miss  Slamer- 
kin,  and  was  imported  by  Governor  Sharpe.  It 
has  been  asked,  in  what  year  ?  It  is  not  now  cer- 
tainly known.  Governor  Sharpe  commenced  his 
administration  in  Maryland  in  the  year  1753,  and 
continued  until  he  was  superseded  by  Governor 
Eden  in  1769.  Othello  was  imported  probably 
about  the  year  1757  or  1758.  Selim  was  foaled  in 
1759,  and  it  is  believed  that  he  was  among  the 
first  of    Othello's  progeny.     Othello  was  sire  of 


Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen      113 

True  Briton.  All  his  colts  from  full-bred  mares 
were  good  runners,  and  were  remarkable  for  their 
bottom.  In  May,  1 767,  he  stood  in  Beale's  Neck, 
near  Annapolis;  and  it  is  supposed  he  died  in 
that  year,  as  he  was  not  heard  of  afterward. 

Ranger,  b.,  imported  by  Dr.  Thomas  Hamilton, 
of  Prince  George's  County,  perhaps  about  the 
time  of  the  importation  of  Figure.  He  was  got 
by  Martindale's  Regulus,  a  son  of  the  Godolphin 
Arabian.  He  was  unsuccessful  in  all  his  trials 
on  the  turf,  and  was  generally  distanced. 

Slim,  ch.,  about  15J  hands  high,  very  hand- 
some, foaled  1 768 ;  he  was  got  by  Wildman's 
Babraham,  his  dam  by  Roger's  Babraham,  gran- 
dam  by  Sedbury,  out  of  Lord  Portmore's  Ebony. 
He  was  good  at  two,  three,  or  four  miles.  His 
name  was  changed  to  that  of  Sprightly.  He  was 
sire  of  Hall's  Union,  Bay  Slim,  Yellow  Slim,  Bet 
Bounce  (Mr.  Lowndes),  and  many  other  fleet 
runners.  He  was  imported  by  Governor  Eden 
about  the  year  1774. 

Spark  was  imported  by  Governor  Ogle ;  his 
pedigree  is  unknown,  and  the  time  of  importa- 
tion uncertain.  Queen  Mab,  it  is  believed,  was 
imported  with  him.     She  was  by  Cade. 

Tanner,  b.,  was    a   full-bred  son  of   Cade,  and 


114  The  American  Tbowugbbred 

was  imported  by  Daniel  Wolstenholme,  Esq.,  of 
St.  Mary's  County.  He  was  sire  of  Young  Tan- 
ner —  afterward  called  Bajazet,  when  owned  by 
General  John   Cadwallader  —  and  of  Camilla. 

That  Maryland  animal  to  which  the  American 
turf  owes  the  greatest  debt  was  Selima,  a 
daughter  of  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  thoroughbred  family.  Selima 
was  imported  from  England  by  Colonel  Tasker, 
of  Annapolis,  and  was  nearer  to  the  very  foun- 
tain-head of  the  thoroughbred  than  any  animal 
which  had  come  to  this  country  or  which  fol- 
lowed her.  Fortunately,  she  came  into  that  part 
of  the  country  where  existed  several  imported 
thoroughbred  stallions,  and  from  mating  with 
them  she  established  herself  as  a  brood  mare  of 
remarkable  merit,  and  through  her  sons  and 
daughters  gave  to  the  American  turf  a  distinct 
family  of  great  performers. 

Her  first  mating  in  this  country  was  with 
Othello,  an  imported  horse  brought  into  Mary- 
land   by  Governor  Sharpe. 

The  produce  of  Othello  and  Selima  were 
Selim,  purchased  when  young  by  Samuel  Gallo- 
way, Esq.,  of  Tulip  Hill;  Stella,  never  trained; 
and  Ebony,  remarkable  for  her  speed  and  bottom. 


Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen      115 

owned  by  Mr.  Brent,  of  Virginia.  She  was  the 
dam  of  Mr.  Brogden's  Chatham,  a  good  horse  at 
heats  of  four  miles. 

SeHma  afterward  had  by  the  imported  horse 
Traveller,  commonly  called  Morton's  Traveller, 
two  colts.  Partner  and  Ariel,  capital  racers;  and 
by  the  imported  horse  Juniper  a  colt  called  Ba- 
braham.  Juniper  was  by  Babraham,  a  son  of  the 
Godolphin  Arabian.  She  also  had  a  filly  by  the 
imported  horse  Fearnought. 

Selim  was  foaled  in  1759,  and  beat  every  horse 
of  his  day  until  after  he  was  nine  years  old.     In 

1763  he  won  the  purse  at  Annapolis,  beating 
Dr.  Hamilton's  imported  horse  Dove,  and  others. 
At  that  time  there  was  no  course  near  Annap- 
olis, and  the  horses  ran  two  miles  out,  on  the 
main   road   toward  Baltimore,  and   returned.     In 

1764  and  1765  he  won  the  purse  at  Philadelphia, 
beating  the  best  horses  in  that  neighborhood. 
It  was  in  1765  or  1766  that  he  beat  True  Briton 
at  Philadelphia,  in  a  match  for  ^500  (or  pis- 
toles), four  miles  and  repeat.  In  1 766  he  was 
winner  over  the  course  at  Chestertown,  beating 
the  celebrated  Yorick,  from  Virginia,  a  noted 
horse  called  Juno,  and  others.  In  October,  1767, 
he  won  the  purse  of  100  guineas  at  Philadelphia, 


ii6  The  American  Tboroii^gbbred 

distancing  three  others.  His  superiority  as  a 
racer  was  so  notorious  in  Maryland  that  he  was 
frequently  excepted  and  not  permitted  to  run. 
In  1768,  for  the  first  time,  he  was  beaten  by  the 
imported  horse  Figure.  In  1772,  when  thirteen 
years  old,  he  ran  second  to  Mr.  De  Lancey's 
Nettle,  beating  the  justly  celebrated  horse  Silver- 
heels  (from  Virginia),  Wildair,  and  others  —  four- 
mile  heats.     He  was  never  trained  afterward. 

Stella  was  the  dam  of  Dr.  Hamilton's  mares 
Primrose  and  Thistle  by  his  imported  horse 
Dove,  and  of  Harmony  by  his  imported  horse 
Figure.  Primrose  was  a  successful  racer.  Thistle, 
in  1 769,  won  a  sweepstakes  of  60  guineas  at  An- 
napolis. Harmony  was  the  fleetest  animal  of 
her  day,  but  not  remarkable  for  bottom. 

As  has  been  stated,  only  the  well-to-do  people 
of  Maryland  were  concerned  with  these  early 
race-horses.  Annapolis  was  the  centre  of  the 
aristocracy  of  that  state,  and  it  is  mentioned  in 
the  Catholic  CJmrchman  of  the  date  of  1 744  that, 
among  the  legitimate  pastimes  of  the  population 
which  met  with  the  approval  of  the  Church  itself, 
was  the  new  one  of  racing  horses,  which  had 
grown  to  be  highly  popular  among  the  gentry 
of  the  country.      It  may  be  noted  also,  from  the 


Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen     117 

mention  of  Selima  and  the  racing  of  her  progeny, 
that  old  Maryland  was  early  in  the  field,  and  that 
the  beaux  and  belles  of  Annapolis  and  of  Balti- 
more were  setting  themselves  out  under  the 
green  trees  of  the  new  land  for  the  enjoyment 
of  the  sport  of  kings  long,  long  before  the  Revo- 
lution was  more  than  a  dream,  and  while  we  were 
still  crying  in  this  country,  "  Long  live  the  king !  " 

As  was  the  case  in  Virginia,  perusal  of  the 
names  of  the  early  breeders  and  racing  men  of 
Maryland  brings  constant  suggestion  of  the 
men  who  made  the  colonial  history  of  Mary- 
land, because  they  were  the  same  persons.  In 
fact,  from  Charleston  north,  as  you  come  along 
with  the  story  of  racing  in  America,  you  en- 
counter always  the  gentleman  at  the  head  of  the 
thoroughbred. 

It  is  perfectly  natural,  and  yet  a  curious  thing, 
to  note  that,  notwithstanding  its  nearness  to  the 
Southern  colonies  and  the  necessary  business 
intimacy  that  existed  between  Philadelphia  and 
the  Southern  cities  of  Baltimore,  Annapolis,  and 
Richmond,  the  thoroughbred  did  not  establish 
firm  ground  for  himself  in  the  Quaker  land.  The 
stern  people  who  came  to  make  a  new  home 
under   the    Pennsylvania   oaks  gave    small    time 


ii8  The  American  Thoroughbred 

to  sport,  and  all  their  days  and  nights  to  the 
labor  of  the  founding  of  a  country  of  their  own. 

So  it  is  not  in  the  least  surprising,  when  you  go 
to  the  early  records  to  find  Pennsylvania's  contri- 
bution to  the  general  fabric  of  breeding  and  rac- 
ing in  America,  that  for  many,  many  years  after 
the  turf  had  been  grafted  on  to  the  body  politic  of 
America  only  two  thoroughbred  horses  had  been 
imported  by  the  Philadelphia  route.  Northum- 
berland, sometimes  called  Irish  Gray,  was  im- 
ported by  Mr.  Crow  sometime  prior  to  1767,  and 
was  contemporary  with  Selim,  the  son  of  Selima, 
for  they  ran  in  a  race  together  in  Philadelphia  in 
1767.  Old  England  was  a  bay  horse  imported 
about  the  same  time  as  Northumberland,  and  Old 
England  himself  was  a  starter  in  this  particular 
race  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  also  a  runner  in  one 
of  the  early  races  on  Long  Island. 

The  pedigree  of  Old  England  is  entirely  lost. 
Northumberland,  however,  was  by  Bustard,  and 
was  bred  in  England  by  Lord  Mazarine.  With 
him  came  his  full  sister.  Lady  Northumberland. 
The  dam  of  this  pair  was  by  Crab,  second  dam 
by  Babraham,  son  of  the  Godolphin  Arabian. 

So  it  was  that,  when  the  Marylanders  went 
abroad  into  Pennsylvania  for  the  purpose  of  find- 


Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen      119 

ing  a  horse  to  beat,  Northumberland  and  Old 
England  were  there  to  give  them  trial.  And  this 
race  was  in  all  probability  the  first  public  affair  run 
between  presumed  thoroughbreds  ever  occurring 
in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania. 

As,  following  it,  there  was  much  brilliant  breed- 
ing and  racing  history  in  the  old  state,  it  is  worth 
the  while  of  curious  perusal.  And  it  also  gives 
some  idea  of  Selim's  quality.  This  account  of 
it  was  written  by  Judge  G.  Duval,  who  was  one 
of  the  early  Maryland  sportsmen  and  was  at  the 
time  of  this  race  one  of  the  Supreme  Court  judges. 
The  curious  old  account  of  this  first  Pennsylvania 
event  is  as  follows :  — 

"  Great  Rujiiiing  by  Selim  at  Philadelphia  in  iy6y 

"Marietta,  June  26,  1829. 

"  Sir,  —  According  to  promise  you  have  an 
account  of  the  race  run  at  Philadelphia,  in  the 
year  1767,  by  Selim  and  other  horses.  It  is 
copied  from  the  Maryland  Gazette  of  Mr.  Green, 
October  22,  1767  ;  by  him  taken  from  a  Philadel- 
phia paper. 

"  On  Tuesday  last,  the  following  horses  started 
for  the  Gentleman's  subscription  purse  of  one 
hundred  guineas :  — 


I20  The  American  Tborougbbred 

"  Samuel  Gallaway,  Esq.'s  bay  horse  Selim    .  .11 

Mr.  Leary's  bay  horse  Old  England  .         .  .2       dist. 

Mr.  Samuel's  bay  horse  Granby  .         .  .     3       dr. 

Mr.  Andrew  Orr's  gray  horse  Northumberland  .     dist. 

"  The  first  heat  was  run  in  8  minutes  2  sec- 
onds, Selim  winning  from  Old  England  by  a 
single  length.  The  second  heat,  after  running 
three  miles  close  at  the  heels  of  Selim,  Old 
England  flew  the  course. 

"  The  standard  was  10  stone.  Selim  was  then 
eight  years  old,  and  carried  140  pounds  full 
weight.  Old  England  and  Northumberland  were 
both  imported. 

"It  is  believed  that  this  running  was  never 
exceeded,  if  equalled,  in  this  country.  To  form 
a  correct  judgment  of  the  speed  of  a  horse,  the 
weight  carried  must  always  be  recollected.  If,  as 
the  old  and  experienced  sportsmen  say,  seven 
pounds  are  equal  to  a  distance,  which  is  240 
yards,  it  follows  that  14  pounds  will  make  the 
difference  of  480  yards,  a  space  which  would 
consume  32  seconds  of  time  in  running,  at  the 
rate  of  running  at  Philadelphia.  Deduct  this 
from  8  minutes  2  seconds,  and  it  leaves  7^ 
minutes,  in  which  the  race  would  have  been  run 
if    the    standard    had    been    9    stone.      I    have 


Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen      121 

never  seen  an  account  of  a  race  where  the  four 
miles  were  run  in  7^  minutes  in  the  United  States. 

"Figure  beat  SeHm  in  1768,  at  Upper  Marl- 
borough, but  Selim  was  undoubtedly  in  bad  con- 
dition, and  had  been  lately  cured  of  the  distemper 
in  the  throat.  He  was  certainly  a  capital  racer. 
I  saw  him  beat  the  celebrated  Silver  Legs  from 
Virginia,  in  the  year  1772,  at  Annapolis,  four 
miles  and  repeat.  He  was  then  thirteen  years 
old,  and  Silver  Legs  only  nine. 

"  With  respect  and  esteem, 

"G.  Duval." 

It  was  not  for  long  that  Pennsylvania  remained 
so  far  behind  her  sister  states,  for  she  began 
breeding  in  a  small  way  sufificiently  early  to  pro- 
duce, in  1798,  the  bay  horse  First  Consul,  who 
was  foaled  in  Philadelphia  County.  First  Consul 
was  sired  by  Flag  of  Truce,  a  Virginia  horse,  out 
of  a  mare  by  imported  Slender.  First  Consul 
might  be  called  the  first  race-horse  of  quality  ever 
produced  in  Pennsylvania.  From  three  to  seven 
years  old  he  won  twenty-one  purses,  averaging 
100  guineas  each,  in  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Washington  City, 
and  was  never  beaten  until  the  fall  he  was  eight 
years  old. 


122  The  American  Tborougbbred 

He  then  met  his  Waterloo  in  one  of  the  famous 
old  races,  where,  in  a  match  of  four-mile  heats  near 
Baltimore,  the  celebrated  Oscar  gave  him  defeat. 
This  was  a  remarkably  fast  race  and  character- 
ized by  the  bottom  of  the  horses. 

First  Consul  was  owned  by  Joshua  B.  Bond, 
Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  who  was  a  prominent  gen- 
tleman in  his  own  city  and  quite  well  known  as  a 
high-class  sportsman.  Mr.  Bond  had  offered  to 
run  First  Consul  against  any  horse  in  America, 
which  challenge  had  been  accepted  by  Major 
William  Ball,  of  Virginia,  on  behalf  of  his  fine 
horse.  Ball's  Florizel,  for  $10,000  a  side.  But  in 
the  interim  First  Consul  had  run  the  match  with 
Oscar. 

The  succeeding  week  Oscar  and  First  Consul 
started  in  a  famous  race  at  Washington  City,  in 
four-mile  heats,  in  which  they  met  Floretta  and 
Top  Gallant.  The  second  heat  of  this  race  was 
run  with  Floretta  first.  First  Consul  second,  and 
Oscar  third,  in  7.52.  So  great  a  noise  was  made 
at  the  time  over  the  remarkable  record  that  the 
Washington  track  was  measured  to  ascertain  if  it 
were  not  short  of  a  mile.  It  was  found  to  be 
seven  feet  over. 

First  Consul  was  afterward  beat  by  Post  Boy 


Maryland's  Horses  and  Horsemen      123 

in  a  four-mile  heat  race  at  Lancaster,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  a  close  race  for  three  heats,  of  which  he 
won  the  second  heat.  Then  he  gave  a  taste  of 
his  quality  to  the  New  Yorkers,  in  a  match  race 
run  on  an  old  course  in  Harlem,  in  which  he  was 
beaten  by  Tippoo  Sultan,  then  the  Northern 
champion  at  four-mile  heats. 

He  was  a  beautiful  horse,  of  great  strength, 
15I-  in  height.  He  sired  Bond's  Eclipse,  Diana, 
and  Greer's  Potomac.  He  was  never,  however,  a 
great  progenitor;  and  this  extensive  mention  is 
made  of  him  because  he  ^yas  the  first  thorough- 
bred foaled  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  to  make 
any  racing  impress  in  America. 


CHAPTER   VI 

FIRST    THOROUGHBREDS    OF    THE    NORTH 

Breeding  in  the  North  may  be  said  to  have 
had  its  birth  with  the  importation,  by  Colonel 
James  De  Lancey,  of  a  horse  called  Wildair, 
another  called  Lath,  a  mare  known  to  fame  as 
the  Cub  Mare,  and  another  animal  called  Fair 
Rachel.  It  cannot  be  positively  stated  at  what 
date  these  horses  landed  at  the  Battery,  but  it 
was  sometime  between  1755  and  1760.  At  any 
rate,  these  animals  were  the  forerunners  of  many 
million  dollars'  worth  of  horseflesh  that,  in  after 
years,  passed  Sandy  Hook,  to  enrich  the  blood 
of  the  thoroughbred  of  America. 

Wildair  was  used  in  this  country  for  breeding 
purposes  for  a  time,  and  was  then  sold  and  re- 
shipped  to  England,  where  he  died.  Fair  Rachel 
did  a  small  part  toward  creating  a  Northern  blood 
stock.  Lath  distinguished  himself  on  the  turf 
and  in  the  stud. 

But  out  of  these  four,  who  were  the  first  comers 


First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North       125 

to  the  Northern  shores,  the  Cub  Mare  was  the 
one  to  stamp  her  individuahty  upon  her  get  and 
to  make  a  name  for  herself  as  a  producer  of  race- 
horses, that  will  not  be  permitted  to  die  so  long 
as  American  thoroughbred  pedigrees  are  extant. 
She  was  the  Selima  of  the  Northern  turf.  She 
was,  in  fact,  one  of  the  most  valuable  mares  ever 
imported  to  this  country.  Nearly  all  of  the  best 
horses  in  America  trace  to  her  either  on  the  dam 
or  sire  side.  Immediately  she  began  to  make  her 
presence  felt.  Rattler,  Childers,  Sumpter,  Flir- 
tilla,  Ivanhoe,  Polly  Hopkins,  Hyazin,  and  Inau- 
gural are  some  of  those  thoroughbreds  foaled 
in  the  early  years  which  trace  directly  to  her. 

The  greatest  of  her  produce,  however,  was  her 
first  foal.  That  was  a  filly,  sometimes  called 
Maria  Slamerkin,  sometimes  Old  Slamerkin,  and 
again  Miss  Slamerkin.  This  filly  was  the  result 
of  a  union  between  the  Cub  Mare  and  Wildair, 
a  horse  which  accompanied  her  to  this  country. 

The  Cub  Mare  passed  her  days  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York.  When  and  where  she  died  is  not 
known.  But  she  was  a  respectable  personage  in 
the  early  history  of  the  American  thoroughbred, 
and  her  daughter,  Maria  Slamerkin,  was  the  most 
highly  regarded  animal  of  her  sex  in  her  day. 


126  The  American  Tborougbbred 

The  history  of  Old  Slamerkin  has  been  written 
by  many  pens,  and  the  story  of  her,  valuable  as  it 
is,  differs  at  each  writing.  Delving  through  the 
early  turf  literature  of  America,  the  author  has 
found  an  account  of  Maria  Slamerkin  which,  from 
the  circumstances  surrounding  the  account,  is 
probably  the  correct  one  of  the  career  of  this 
wonderful  producer.  The  communication  is  also 
interesting  as  letting  one  into  the  intimate  man- 
ners and  customs  of  the  gentlemen  of  that  day. 
Writing  from  his  estate  at  Bel  voir,  in  1826,  Mr. 
John  Manners  said:  — 

"The  celebrated  Slamerkin  was  bred  by  James 
De  Lancey,  Esq.,  of  New  York,  and  purchased  by 
Mr.  John  Allen,  of  New  Jersey.  At  four  years 
old,  in  Mr.  Allen's  possession,  she  ran  the  four- 
mile  heats  over  the  Philadelphia  course,  against 
the  celebrated  running  horse  old  Sprightly,  the 
property  of  Governor  Eden,  of  Maryland,  who 
had  never  been  beaten,  and  four  others,  the  best 
runners  in  the  United  States.  Slamerkin  dis- 
tanced all  but  old  Sprightly,  the  first  heat,  and 
beat  him  the  second  heat  with  ease.  She  was 
allowed  to  run  the  four-mile  heats,  more  swiftly 
than  any  horse  in  the  United  States.  She  was 
afterwards   purchased  by  Daniel    Hunt,  Esq.,  of 


JAMES   R.    KEENE 


First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North       127 

Lebanon,  New  Jersey,  who  sold  her  to  Colonel 
Goode,  of  Virginia. 

"  Slamerkin  was  the  dam  of  the  celebrated 
running  horses  Bucephalus,  gotten  by  old  Granby, 
and  Honest  John,  gotten  by  the  imported  horse 
old  Messenger.  She  was  the  grandam  of  the 
celebrated  running  horses  PoUydore,  Grasshopper, 
Esopus,  Cockfighter,  and  several  good  runners; 
and  the  ancestor  of  Kentucky  Whip,  Flag  of 
Truce,  Fearnought,  Seagull,  Prizefighter,  Hon- 
esty, Tormentor,  Hornet,  Maria,  Eclipse,  Lurcher, 
Scipio,  Antelope,  Brilliant,  Morgan  Rattler,  and 
many  other  good  racers. 

"  Slamerkin  was  gotten  by  the  celebrated  horse, 
Old  Wildair,  who  was  afterwards  exported  to  Eng- 
land, and  covered  at  40  guineas  a  mare,  out  of 
the  celebrated  Cub  mare,  and  was  full  sister  to  the 
famous  old  Bashaw. 

"Jno.  Manners." 

Mr.  Manners  then  furnished  the  following 
delightful  story  of  the  mare  from  a  member  of 
the  Goode  family :  — 

"About  1780,  a  year  or  two  sooner  or  later, 
a  Mr.  Thomas  Goode  of  Chesterfield,  Virginia, 
than  whom  never  was  man  more  devoted  to  good 


128  The  American  Thoroughbred 

horses,  having  read  and  heard  of  the  celebrated 
horse  Lath,  went  to  the  North  with  a  view  to 
get  him ;  either  by  purchase,  or  to  stand  him 
as  a  stalHon.  Whilst  in  that  country  he  was 
taken  extremely  ill,  at  a  Mr.  Hunt's,  who  had 
previously  intermarried  with  a  widow,  Mrs.  Van- 
lue,  in  Jersey.  Mr.  Goode  was  sick  for  many 
weeks,  during  which  time  it  was  fairly  under- 
stood he  was  not  to  have  Lath.  Great  exer- 
tions were  then  made  to  obtain  this  very  mare. 
Miss  Slamerkin ;  but  in  this  he  was  also  dis- 
appointed. 

"  The  time  arrived  when  he  was  to  return  to 
Virginia.  I  have  frequently  heard  him  speak 
of  the  tender  and  constant  attention  of  this  kind 
and  hospitable  family — of  the  reluctance  with 
which  they  gave  him  up  —  and  above  all  (it 
would  be  strange  to  tell  nowadays),  not  a  cent 
would  they  receive  for  their  trouble,  but  seemed 
to  be  glad  to  have  had  it  in  their  power  to  con- 
fer the  obligation.  Yes,  sir,  and  if  ever  an  obli- 
gation so  great  has  been  fully  repaid  in  gratitude 
to  the  bestower,  I  think  this  might  be  referred 
to  as  the  case.  Oft  have  I  heard  him  speak  in 
raptures  of  this  family  —  their  kindness  —  their 
incessant  attention  to  him  never  wavering  —  their 


First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North       129 

sweetness  of  temper  and  politeness  to  one  an- 
other—  always  enjoying  the  first  and  best  gift 
of  heaven,  their  own  domestic  happiness.  These 
were  circumstances  well  calculated  to  produce  a 
long  and  lasting  intimacy  and  friendship  between 
the  parties. 

"  In  a  few  years  after,  one  of  the  young  Mr. 
Vanlues,  son  of  Mrs.  Hunt,  on  his  way  from 
the  South,  where  he  had  been  upon  business, 
called  at  Mr.  Goode's  and  spent  a  week  or  two. 
I  well  recollect  the  very  joy  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Goode  felt  at  seeing  him  —  in  having  some  little 
opportunity  of  returning  kindness  for  kindness. 
In  some  few  years  after,  in  an  unexpected  mo- 
ment, the  old  gentleman  himself,  Mr.  Hunt,  drove 
up  in  the  yard  of  Mr.  Goode  with  a  number  of 
the  prettiest,  cleanest  limbed,  best  looking  horses 
I  ever  saw,  and  among  them  was  the  celebrated 
Miss  Slamerkin,  the  daughter  of  the  *  wonderful, 
the  old  Cub  mare.' 

"  If  I  were  gifted,  Mr.  Editor,  in  description, 
I  would  ask  the  liberty  of  a  small  digression  to 
tell  you  something  of  the  sparkling,  endearing 
vivacity  evidently  to  be  seen  in  their  mutual 
confidences  —  of  the  cordial  salutations  and  shak- 
ings of  each  other's  hands.     No  little  darkening 


130  The  American  Thoroughbred 

window,  through  which  that  chilling  monster, 
deceit,  could  pop  his  nose.  No !  all  was  honest, 
heartfelt  sincerity  —  reciprocal  gladness.  I  should 
do  injustice  (it  is  not  worth  while  further  to 
attempt  to  conceal)  to  the  memory  of  a  dear 
departed  mother  were  I  not  to  say,  she  was 
foremost  in  the  trio.  All  was  kindness,  frank- 
ness, good  humor  and  gladness.  I  remember 
too,  full  well,  the  tender  throbbings  of  my  own 
little  heart.  I  thought  I  saw  the  kind  preserver 
of  my  father's  life ;  I  loved  and  admired  him. 

"  Time  passed  on  from  day  to  day.  The  horses 
were  looked  at,  praised  and  admired  —  all  was 
done  to  improve  their  looks.  The  market  hour 
arrived,  and  off  they  went  for  Petersburg.  When 
out,  that  restraint  and  delicacy  of  situation,  as  to 
the  sale  or  purchase  of  the  old  mare,  was  over, 
and  Mr.  Hunt  came  out  frankly  to  my  father, 
first  premising  his  remarks  with  a  fear  to  do  it 
whilst  at  his  house,  lest  he  might  think  himself 
bound  to  take  her ;  from  which  he  then  absolved 
him,  and  told  him  he  had  procured  the  old  mare. 
Miss  Slamerkin,  expressly  for  him ;  not  for 
speculation,  but  to  oblige  him,  under  his  old 
request;  and  cost  and  charges  were  all  he  ever 
intended    to    ask  for  her.     My  father   cheerfully 


First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North       131 

embraced  the  offer,  the  amount  was  made  out 
at  some  eighty  or  ninety  pounds  (a  long  price 
in  those  days  and  at  her  age,  about  eighteen), 
and  the  mare  was  his.  They  had  then  advanced 
some  six  or  eight  miles  on  their  way  to  Peters- 
burg, and  the  old  gentleman  had  to  return  to  my 
father's  to  get  his  pay ;  silver  was  much  the  order 
of  the  then  times ;  the  order  was  necessarily 
given  to  return.  And  here,  sir,  let  me  relate 
what  I  well  remember  to  have  heard  them  speak 
of  as  the  fact,  that  the  wonderful,  the  remarkable 
Miss  Slamerkin  (eighteen  years  old  as  above), 
heavy  in  foal,  daughter  of  the  wonderful,  '  the 
old  Cub  mare,'  turned  her  tail  upon  her  back, 
took  the  lead  in  the  onset,  sped  her  way  back 
to  my  father's,  was  the  first  to  enter  a  gate  that 
had  been  left  open,  strained  down  to  the  stables, 
and  around  and  around,  in  advance  of  the  gentle- 
men some  half  an  hour  or  more.  A  day  or 
two  was  again  spent  in  their  usual  happy  way; 
and  the  old  gentleman  left  us  as  reluctantly  as 
we  were  unwilling  to  give  him  up. 

"  I  well  remember,  for  I  could  not  leave  his 
chair  and  side,  all  the  most  prominent  remarks 
about  the  old  mare.  She  was  said  to  have  been 
the  very  best  racer  of  her  day  —  the  first  nag  that 


132  The  American  Tborougbhred 

ever  beat  old  Sprightly  at  Philadelphia  —  was 
never  beaten  —  was  full  sister  to  Bashaw.  It 
was  said  she  or  Bashaw  (I  do  not  recollect  which) 
was  in  the  belly  of  her  dam  when  she  crossed  the 
Atlantic ;  that  the  '  old  Cub  mare '  was  selected, 
as  well  on  account  of  her  blood,  as  that  she  was 
in  foal  to  Wildair,  at  the  time  they  were  imported, 
and  the  colt  was  intended  as  a  commendation  to 
the  horse.  Wildair  and  the  Cub  mare  were  both 
imported  at  the  same  time,  by  a  Col.  De  Lancey 
of  that  state.  Wildair  was  sent  for  back,  by  the 
sporting  gentlemen  of  that  country,  was  repur- 
chased at  a  long  price,  and  put  at  forty  guineas  a 
mare  in  England.  All  of  which,  Mr.  Editor,  I 
then  did  believe,  and  still  do  believe,  as  sincerely, 
as  in  the  records  of  any  court  in  this  Union. 

"  She  was  said  to  have  left  a  good  progeny  be- 
hind her.  I  well  remember  the  name  of  Paragon 
—  she  was  certified  then  to  be  in  foal  to  a  horse 
to  the  North,  called  Liberty;  he  by  Dove,  etc. 
She  produced  the  ensuing  spring  a  remarkable 
fine  filly  —  was  then  put  to  the  imported  horse 
Bay  Richmond,  and  produced  one  of  the  prettiest 
horses  ever  raised  in  this  part  of  the  world;  and 
was  then  sent  to  Mr.  French's  in  the  upper  end  of 
Dinwiddie  county,  about  fifteen  or  eighteen  miles 


First  Tboroiighhreds  of  the  North       133 

above  Petersburg,  to  the  imported  horse  Obscur- 
ity, and  produced  from  him  a  wonderfully  fine 
filly,  the  grandam  of  Rattler,  Childers,  Sumpter, 
Flirtilla;  and  great  grandam  of  Ivanhoe,  Polly 
Hopkins,  Hiazim,  Inaugural,  etc.,  etc.  Blackeyed 
Susan,  Sir  Robin,  Rusty  Robin,  Massena,  Equality, 
Roxana,  and  many  others,  and  some  not  tried, 
were  the  descendants  of  the  wonderful,  '  the  old 
Cub  mare,'  Thus,  sir,  has  she  been  rendered 
wonderful  and  worthy  of  notice.  And  will  you 
look  to  Lexington,  Kentucky,  for  the  Sumpters, 
and  to  your  own  pages  for  the  Childers  and 
Rattlers,  and  to  the  present  Polly  Hopkins,  and 
not  say  there  is  something  still  more  'wonderful'.? 
"  Respectfully, 

"  John  C.  Goode." 

With  the  foaling  by  the  Cub  Mare  of  Maria 
Slamerkin,  the  birth  of  the  Northern  turf  may 
be  said  to  have  begun.  There  had  been  racing 
on  Long  Island  and  in  New  Jersey  before  Wildair 
and  the  Cub  Mare  were  imported,  but  the  horses 
engaged  were  not  thoroughbred  animals,  and  the 
prizes  for  which  they  ran  were  so  small  that  the 
sport  itself  was  hardly  lifted  to  the  dignity  of  an 
event.     There  were  several  paths  laid  out  on  that 


134  The  American  Thoroughbred    - 

territory  now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Brooklyn, 
but  it  was  not  until  1819  that  race  meetings  of 
any  character  were  held  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York.  It  was  not  until  that  year  that  the  people 
of  Gotham  seemed  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  the 
transactions  of  the  turf. 

In  the  spring  of  1 819  an  association  was  formed 
and  a  course  established  at  Bath,  Long  Island. 
But  the  location  was  not  desirable,  and  in  182 1 
the  same  association  purchased  a  plot  of  ground 
eight  miles  from  where  the  Brooklyn  City  Hall 
now  stands  and  inaugurated  it  as  the  Union 
Course.  Large  purses  were  offered  for  speed 
contests,  and  racing  was  established  on  a  respect- 
able and  firm  basis. 

The  Union  Course  stands  more  prominently 
on  the  pages  of  American  turf  history  than  any 
track  now  in  existence,  since  it  was  the  theatre  of 
some  of  the  grandest  turf  battles  ever  decided  on 
American  soil,  and  was  the  arena  upon  which  were 
held  those  memorable  and  incomparable  contests 
between  the  horses  of  the  North  and  the  South 
in  the  subsequent  years,  after  the  North  had  be- 
gun to  produce  its  own  race-horses. 

Just  as  the  gentlemen  of  the  Carolinas,  Vir- 
ginia,   Maryland,    and     Pennsylvania    had    given 


First  Tborougbbreds  of  the  North       135 

themselves  to  the  sports  of  the  turf,  so  the  very 
distinguished  men  of  the  North  were  found  as  the 
owners,  managers,  and  even  trainers  of  the  best 
thoroughbreds  about  New  York.  Stevens,  Liv- 
ingston, De  Lancey,  Gibbons,  and  Van  Ranst 
were  some  of  the  names  to  be  associated  with 
this  early  racing  on  the  Union  Course. 

The  importation  of  Messenger  and  of  Trustee, 
both  of  which  were  sires  of  extraordinary  power, 
gave  the  necessary  out-crosses  for  the  blood  which 
Wildair  and  Lath  had  already  left  in  the  country. 
And,  as  well,  the  Northern  gentlemen  interested 
in  racing  did  not  hesitate  to  betake  themselves  to 
Virginia  and  other  parts  of  the  South,  and  there 
to  purchase  such  blood  as  seemed  best  adapted 
to  the  crossing  of  the  lines  which  they  had  pos- 
sessed at  home.  Breeding  intelligently  and  using 
great  sums  of  money  in  judicious  investment,  it 
is  not  surprising  to  know  that  within  a  very  few 
years  after  the  Revolution  the  Northern  breeders 
had  themselves  established  a  distinguished  family 
of  thoroughbreds  ;  and  after  the  Union  Course 
came  into  existence  they  had  such  horses  at  their 
command  that  they  could,  and  did,  defeat  the  very 
flowers  of  the  Southland.  The  Virginians  suf- 
fered   the    humiliation    of    being   beaten    at    the 


136  The  American  Tborougbbred 

North  by  descendants  on  one  side  of  the  house 
or  the  other  of  animals  which  they  had  sold  out 
of  their  own  country  to  come  for  the  enrichment 
of  the  blood  of  the  North. 

Thus  far  this  story  of  the  blood  horse  of 
America  has  had  for  its  purpose  the  showing 
of  whence  and  how  he  came,  and  also  to  give 
the  reader  some  conception  of  the  circumstances 
surrounding  the  creation  of  the  thoroughbred 
horse  in  this  country,  and  the  kind  of  personali- 
ties whose  names  are  interwoven  with  those  of 
our  turf  champions  from  the  earliest  times  down 
to  the  date  of  this  writing. 

It  must  be  known  now  that  by  the  time  the 
Union  Course  had  been  constructed  on  Long 
Island,  the  Southern  states  and  what  were  then 
called  the  Western  states  had  themselves  made 
great  advancement  in  the  matter  of  fine  horses. 
Georgia,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Ten- 
nessee, and  Kentucky  had  each  levied  tribute 
upon  the  blood  of  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  the 
Carolinas,  and  on  those  far  distant  farms  young- 
sters were  being  foaled  that  in  after  years  should 
race  themselves  into  fame  and  become  the  pro- 
genitors of  sons  and  daughters  even  more  famous. 

To  mention  briefly  the  dominating  influences 


First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North       137 

in  the  creation  of  the  American  thoroughbred, 
we  might  say  that  Diomed  in  Virginia,  Citizen 
in  CaroHna,  SeHma  in  Maryland,  and  the  Cub 
Mare  and  her  associates  in  New  York  —  all 
animals  imported  from  England  —  were  the  strik- 
ing individuals. 

This  portion  of  the  history  of  the  American 
race-horse  may  have  much  of  that  in  it  which  is 
weary  reading  to  him  who  seeks  entertainment 
alone,  but  without  such  dissertation  upon  it  no 
history  of  our  turf  could  be  written  and  no  under- 
standing of  the  merits  of  the  great  horses  which 
have  graced  the  turf  could  be  arrived  at. 

One  may  turn  now  to  the  pleasant  duty  of 
showing  the  thoroughbred  in  his  activities;  in 
other  words,  of  telling  the  story  of  the  American 
turf  after  it  became  a  fixed  institution,  and  when 
its  races  were  of  such  character  as  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  whole  world. 

Though  the  Southerners  had  long  ago  begun 
the  making  of  turf  story  in  their  part  of  the 
world,  and  the  National  Course  had  been  born 
at  Washington,  it  seems  fitting  that  the  first  race 
to  which  extensive  description  is  given  in  this 
volume  should  be  that  race  which  began  the 
series   of   rivalries   between    the   North  and   the 


138  The  American  Tborougbhred 

South,  and  which  were  the  first  national  events 
to  take  place  in  this  country. 

In  18 14  there  was  foaled  at  Dosoris,  Queen's 
County,  Long  Island,  a  colt  got  by  Duroc  out 
of  Miller's  Damsel  by  imported  Messenger.  His 
birth  took  place  just  one  year  in  advance  of  that 
from  which  Frank  Forrester  dates  the  authentic 
era  of  the  turf  in  this  country. 

This  colt  born  on  a  May  day  in  18 14,  by  Duroc 
out  of  Miller's  Damsel,  was  called  Eclipse.  And 
then,  to  distinguish  him  from  the  splendid  English 
animal  of  that  name,  he  was  further  called  Ameri- 
can Eclipse. 

The  racing  career  of  American  Eclipse  had 
been  one  series  of  brilliant  successes.  As  was 
the  case  with  nearly  all  of  the  early  horses  of 
America,  there  were  many  disputes  over  the  pedi- 
gree of  Eclipse,  and  performances  credited  to  him 
were  denied.  So  great  was  the  discussion  over 
this  horse  and  so  extensive  the  demand  for  true 
knowledge  of  him,  that  in  1823  a  history  of  him 
was  published.  However,  the  best  account  of 
the  foaling  of  this  horse,  of  his  pedigree,  and 
of  his  races  up  to  the  time  of  his  national  match 
with  Henry,  was  written  by  his  owner,  Mr.  C.  W. 
Van  Ranst,  a  gentleman  of  the    highest  attain- 


First  Tborougbbreds  of  the  North       139 

ments  and  of  unquestioned  veracity.  His  descrip- 
tion of  the  horse,  his  pedigree  and  performances, 
is  embodied  in  this  bit  of  graceful  writing:  — 

"  The  last  horse  that  is  to  be  named  in  my 
list  I  might  perhaps  be  excused  from  noticing, 
on  account  of  the  great  renown  he  has  acquired, 
and  from  the  many  details  concerning  him  that 
have  already  appeared  in  the  public  journals,  as 
well  as  in  your  own  work;  besides  a  pamphlet 
especially  devoted  to  his  history  in  1823.  But, 
in  order  to  make  my  communication  complete, 
I  shall  now  proceed  to  give  you  an  accurate 
account  of  him. 

"  He  is  a  chestnut  horse,  with  a  star,  and  the 
near  hind  foot  white;  15  hands  3  inches  high; 
possessing  a  large  share  of  bone  and  muscle,  and 
excelling  all  the  racers  of  the  day  in  the  three 
great  essentials  of  speed  —  courage,  stoutness  or 
lastingness,  and  ability  to  carry  weight.  He  was 
foaled  on  the  25th  of  May,  18 14,  at  Dosoris, 
Long  Island,  on  the  farm  of  the  late  General 
Nathaniel  Coles,  whose  proverbial  hospitality  (to 
offer  a  passing  tribute  of  gratitude)  has  been 
experienced  by  all  that  ever  visited  his  mansion. 
From  the  work  alluded  to, '  Authentic  History,  etc., 
of  American  Eclipse,'  it  will  be  found  that,  at  five 


I40  The  American  Tbowiighhred 

months  old,  while  a  suckling,  he  gave  his  owner 
such  a  sample  of  stride,  strength,  and  speed,  that 
he  was  at  that  time  named  '  American  Eclipse.' 
He  was  sired  by  Duroc;  his  dam  Miller's  Dam- 
sel by  Messenger;  his  grandam  the  English  mare 
by  Pi^tSos,  imported  in  1795,  then  three  years 
old,  by  William  Constable,  Esq.,  and  bred  by 
Lord  Grosvenor.  This  English  mare  was  sired 
by  PotSos,  and  P9I80S  by  the  celebrated  horse 
Eclipse ;  his  g.  g.  dam  by  Gimcrack ;  Gimcrack 
by  Cripple,  and  Cripple  by  the  Arabian  of  Lord 
Godolphin. 

"  Duroc,  a  Virginia  horse,  was  sired  by 
Diomed ;  his  dam  Amanda,  the  property  of  Mr. 
Mosely,  was  sired  by  Gray  Diomed,  her  dam 
by  Virginia  Cade. 

"  In  May,  18 18,  then  four  years  old,  American 
Eclipse  won  the  purse  of  ^300,  in  the  three- 
mile  heats  at  Newmarket,  on  Long   Island. 

"In  June,  1819,  he  took  the  purse  of  $500,  in 
the  four-mile  heats  at  Bath,  Long  Island. 

"In  October,  18 19,  he  again  took  a  purse,  of 
similar  amount,  on  the  same  course ;  the  first  heat 
being  run  in  8  minutes  13  seconds,  and  the  next 
in  8  minutes  8  seconds. 

"  After  this  he  stood  for  mares  two  seasons, 


First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North       141 

until  October,  182 1,  when  he  took  the  ^500  purse 
in  the  four-mile  heats,  at  the  Union  Course  (near 
Jamaica),  distancing  the  celebrated  mare.  Lady 
Lightfoot,  in  the  second  heat  The  first  was  run 
in  8  minutes  4  seconds,  and  the  last  heat  in  8 
minutes  2  seconds. 

"  In  the  following  week  he  took  the  premium 
of  $50,  as  the  best  stud-horse,  from  the  New 
York  County  Agricultural  Society. 

"  In  May,  1822,  he  won  a  purse  of  $700,  for  the 
four-mile  heats,  on  the  Union  Course;  beating 
Sir  Walter,  a  very  fast  horse.  The  first  heat  was 
in  7  minutes  54  seconds,  and  the  second  in  8 
minutes. 

"In  October,  1822,  he  took  a  $1000  purse  in 
the  four-mile  heats,  on  that  course,  again  beating 
Sir  Walter,  besides  several  other  horses.  The 
first  heat  was  run  in  7  minutes  58  seconds,  and 
on  the  second  heat  he  came  in  at  his  leisure. 

"On  the  20th  November,  1822,  he  took  $5000 
on  the  Washington  Course,  as  a  forfeit  from  Mr. 
Harrison  for  the  delinquency  of  his  horse  Sir 
Charles ;  and  the  same  day  ran  a  single  four-mile 
heat  for  $1500,  against  that  horse,  whom  he  beat 
with  great  ease." 

This  defeat  of  Sir  Charles,  at  the  Washington 


142  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Course,  was  the  immediate  incident  which 
brought  forth  the  challenge  to  Eclipse,  and 
which  resulted  in  the  first  national  affair  which 
the  American  turf  had  known.  An  offer  was 
made  at  the  Jockey  Club  dinner  the  evening  after 
the  defeat  of  Sir  Charles  —  The  North  vs.  The 
South. 

Walter  Livingston,  Esq.,  a  member  of  that 
aristocratic  family  which  had  early  settled  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York,  was  the  representative  of 
Eclipse  on  the  occasion  of  the  Sir  Charles  race. 
But  Mr.  John  C.  Stevens,  perhaps  the  most 
splendid  of  the  turfmen  of  that  early  day  and  a 
kinsman  of  Walter  Livingston,  overflowing  with 
youth,  ardor,  and  gallantry,  immediately  rose  at 
the  table  in  answer  to  the  suggestion  from  the 
Southerners,  and  challenged  the  South  to  name 
any  horse  at  the  post  who  could  beat  Eclipse, 
four-mile  heats,  on  Long  Island,  the  following 
spring,  for  $20,000  a  side.  The  offer  was  literally 
Eclipse  against  the  world. 

General  Wynne,  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson, 
the  Napoleon  of  the  Southern  turf,  General 
Ridgley,  John  Randolph  of  Roanoke,  and  other 
celebrities  took  counsel  of  each  other,  accepted 
the   challenge,  and    in    the   following    May  they 


First  Thoroughbreds  of  the  North       143 

started  a  most  formidable  stable  North,  three  of 
which,  however,  falling  out  of  condition,  did  not 
reach  Long  Island. 

The  horses  selected  by  the  Southerners  for 
this  great  occasion  and  also  to  race  for  the 
three  purse  events  to  be  run  for  on  the  three 
days  subsequent  to  the  match,  heats  respec- 
tively of  four,  three,  and  two  miles,  were  Betsey 
Richards,  five  years  old ;  her  full  brother,  John 
Richards,  four  years ;  Sir  Henry,  four  years ; 
Flying  Childers,  five  years  —  all  by  Sir  Archy; 
and  Washington,  four  years  old,  by  Timoleon,  a 
son  of  Sir  Archy.  With  one  of  the  three  first 
named,  it  was  the  intention  of  Colonel  William 
R.  Johnson  to  run  the  match.  Of  these,  at  the 
time  he  left  home,  John  Richards  was  his  favor- 
ite ;  his  next  choice  was  Sir  Henry,  and  thirdly 
the  mare ;  although  some  of  the  Southern  gentle- 
men —  and  amongst  others,  General  Wynne  — 
gave  their  opinion  in  favor  of  running  the  mare, 
fearing  lest  Henry  might  get  frightened  by  so 
large  a  crowd  of  people  and  swerve  from  the 
track. 

Unfortunately  for  the  Virginians,  their  favor- 
ite, John  Richards,  in  a  trial  race,  while  at 
Mr.  Badger's,    met  with  an   accident    by  receiv- 


144  The  American  Thoroughbred 

ing  a  cut  in  the  heel  or  frog  of  one  of  his 
fore  feet,  which  rendered  it  necessary  to  throw 
him  out  of  train ;  Washington  also  fell  amiss, 
and  he  and  Richards  were  left  behind  at  Mr. 
Badger's.  With  the  other  three  the  Southern 
sportsmen  proceeded  to  the  Union  Course,  where 
they  arrived  five  or  six  days  previous  to  that 
fixed  upon  for  the  match. 

The  ill  fortune  which  befell  the  Virginians  by 
laming  their  best  horse  in  the  onset  seemed  to 
pursue  them,  for  scarcely  had  they  arrived  at 
Long  Island,  and  become  fixed  in  their  new 
quarters,  when  Colonel  Johnson,  the  principal 
on  their  part,  himself  went  wrong.  On  the 
night  before  the  race  he  gave  himself  to  hila- 
rious indulgence  in  high  wines  and  red  lobsters 
with  a  coterie  of  Northern  gentlemen  who  were 
offering  him  the  courtesies  of  a  great  city,  and 
the  next  morning  the  "  Napoleon  of  the  turf " 
was  hard  by  his  back  in  bed  at  his  hotel  up-town, 
while  the  great  national  event  in  which  he  was 
to  figure  so  prominently  was  being  run  over  on 
Long  Island.  It  was  the  only  time  in  the  course 
of  a  wonderful  turf  career  that  Colonel  Johnson 
had  ever  gone  amiss  and  failed  to  face  the  starter 
himself.     That  brilliant  but  eccentric  man.  Ran- 


First  Thorotigbbreds  of  the  North       145 

dolph  of  Roanoke,  witnessed  the  race  between 
the  champions,  and  he  was  the  author  of  the 
since  often-quoted  remark,  "  It  was  not  Eclipse, 
but  the  lobsters,  that  beat  Henry." 

Thus  the  Southerners,  deprived  of  their  leader, 
whose  skill  and  judgment,  whether  in  the  way 
of  stable  preparation  or  generalship  in  the  field, 
could  be  supplied  by  none  other,  had  to  face 
their  opponents  under  circumstances  thus  far  dis- 
advantageous and  discouraging.  Notwithstand- 
ing these  unexpected  and  untoward  events,  they 
met  the  coming  contest  manfully,  having  full 
and  unimpaired  confidence  in  their  two  remain- 
ing horses,  Sir  Henry  and  Betsey  Richards,  and 
backed  their  opinion  to  the  moment  of  starting. 


CHAPTER   VII 

ECLIPSE    AND    HENRY 

A  CHARMING  writer  of  that  time,  who  signed 
himself  "  An  Old  Turfman,"  wrote  the  account 
of  this  memorable  contest  which  has  been  ac- 
cepted as  the  best  description  of  a  race  that 
instituted  an  era  upon  the  American  turf.  His 
telling  of  it  is  this :  — 

"  At  length  the  rising  sun  gave  promise  that 
the  eventful  day  would  prove  fine  and  unclouded. 
I  was  in  the  field  at  the  peep  of  dawn,  and 
observed  that  the  Southern  horse  and  mare,  led 
by  Henry  Curtis  in  their  walk,  were  both  plated, 
treated  alike,  and  both  in  readiness  for  the  ap- 
proaching contest.  It  was  yet  unknown  to  the 
Northern  sportsmen  which  was  to  be  their  com- 
petitor. 

"  The  road  from  New  York  to  the  course,  a 
distance  of  eight  miles,  was  covered  by  horse- 
men and  a  triple  line  of  carriages,  in  an  un- 
broken chain,  from  the  dawn  of  day  until  one 
o'clock,  the  appointed  hour  of  starting.  The 
146 


Eclipse  and  Henry  147 

stands  on  the  ground,  for  the  reception  of  spec- 
tators, were  crowded  to  excess  at  an  early  hour, 
and  the  club  house,  and  balcony  extending  along 
its  whole  front,  was  filled  by  ladies;  the  whole 
track,  or  nearly  so,  for  a  mile  distance  in  circuit, 
was  lined  on  the  inside  by  carriages  and  horse- 
men —  fiot  less  than  sixty  thousand  spectators 
were  computed  to  be  in  the  field. 

"  About  half-past  twelve  o'clock  Sir  Henry 
made  his  appearance  on  the  course,  as  the 
champion  of  the  South,  and  was  soon  con- 
fronted by  his  antagonist. 

"  I  shall  now  endeavor  to  give  a  brief  de- 
scription of  these  noted  racers. 

"  Sir  Henry  is  a  dark  sorrel,  or  chestnut  color, 
with  one  hind  foot  white,  and  a  small  star  in  the 
forehead  ;  his  mane  and  tail  about  two  shades 
lighter  than  that  of  his  body ;  he  is  represented 
as  being  15  hands  and  i  inch  high,  but  having 
taken  his  measure,  his  exact  height  is  only  14 
hands  3I  inches.  His  form  is  compact,  border- 
ing upon  what  is  termed  pony-built,  with  a  good 
shoulder,  fine  clean  head,  and  all  those  points 
which  constitute  a  fine  forehead  ;  his  barrel  is 
strong,  and  well  ribbed  up  towards  the  hip; 
waist  rather  short ;    chine  bone  strong,  rising  or 


The  American  ThorouMred 


arched  a  little  over  the  loin,  indicative  of  ability 
to  carry  weight;  sway  short;  the  loin  full  and 
strong;  haunches  strong,  and  well  let  down  ;  hind 
quarters  somewhat  high,  and  sloping  off  from  the 
coupling  to  the  croup ;  thighs  full  and  muscular, 
without  being  fleshy;  hocks,  or  houghs,  strong, 
wide,  and  pretty  well  let  down ;  legs  remarkably 
fine,  with  a  full  proportion  of  bone  ;  back  sinew, 
or  Achilles  tendon,  large,  and  well  detached  from 
the  canon  bone;  stands  firm,  clear,  and  even, 
moves  remarkably  well,  with  his  feet  in  line; 
possesses  great  action  and  muscular  power,  and 
although  rather  under  size,  the  exquisite  symme- 
try of  his  form  indicates  uncommon  strength  and 
hardihood. 

"  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  Lemuel  Long,  near 
Halifax,  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  and 
foaled  on  the  17th  day  of  June,  1819.  He  was 
got  by  Sir  Archy,  son  of  imported  chestnut 
Diomed,  his  dam  by  Diomed,  grandam  by  Bel- 
Air,  g.  g.  dam  by  Pilgrim,  g.  g.  g.  dam  by  Valiant, 
g.  g.  g.  g.  dam  by  Janus,  g.  g.  g.  g.  g.  dam  by 
Jolly  Roger;  which  four  last  named  are  imported 
horses,  and  are  to  be  found  in  the  English  Stud 
Book. 

"  Eclipse   is  a  dark  sorrel   horse,  with  a  star, 


Eclipse  and  Henry  149 

the  near  hind  foot  white,  said  to  be  15  hands  3 
inches  in  height,  but  in  fact  measures,  by  the 
standard,  only  15  hands  and  2  inches.  He  pos- 
sesses great  power  and  substance,  being  well 
spread  and  full  made  throughout  his  whole  frame, 
his  general  mould  being  much  heavier  than  is 
commonly  met  with  in  the  thoroughbred  blood- 
horse  ;  he  is,  however,  right  in  the  cardinal  points, 
very  deep  in  the  girth,  with  a  good  length  of 
waist ;  loin  wide  and  strong ;  shoulder  by  no 
means  fine,  being  somewhat  thick  and  heavy, 
yet  strong  and  deep ;  breast  wide,  and  appar- 
ently too  full,  and  too  much  spread  for  a  horse 
of  great  speed  ;  arms  long,  strong,  and  muscular ; 
head  by  no  means  fine ;  neck  somewhat  defective, 
the  junction  with  the  head  having  an  awkward 
appearance,  and  too  fleshy,  and  bagging  too  much 
upon  the  underside  near  the  throttle ;  his  fore 
legs,  from  the  knee  downwards,  are  short  and 
strong,  with  a  large  share  of  bone  and  sinew; 
upon  the  whole  his  forehand  is  too  heavy.  To 
counterbalance  this,  his  hind  quarters  are  as  near 
perfection  as  it  is  possible  to  imagine.  From  the 
hooks,  or  hip  bone,  to  the  extremity  of  the  hind 
quarter,  including  the  whole  sweep  from  the  hip 
to  the  hough,  he  had  not  an  equal ;  with  long  and 


ISO  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

full  muscular  thighs,  let  down  almost  to  the 
houghs,  which  are  also  particularly  long,  and  well 
let  down  upon  the  canon  bone  ;  legs  short,  with 
large  bone  and  strong  tendon,  well  detached,  upon 
which  he  stands  clear  and  even.  Although  his 
form  throughout  denotes  uncommon  strength, 
yet  to  the  extraordinary  fine  construction  of  his 
hind  quarters  I  conceive  him  indebted  for  his 
great  racing  powers,  continuance,  and  ability, 
equal  to  any  weight.  I  have  closely  observ^ed 
him  in  his  gallops ;  if  he  have  a  fault,  it  is  that  of 
falling  a  little  too  heavy  on  his  fore  feet,  and 
dwelling  a  little  too  long  on  the  ground;  but 
then  the  style  and  regularity  with  which  he 
brings  up  his  haunches,  and  throws  his  gaskins 
forward,  overbalance  other  defects. 

•'All  horses  date  their  age  from  the  ist  of 
May.  Thus  a  horse  foaled  any  time  in  the  year 
1819  would  be  considered  four  years  old  on  the 
ist  day  of  May,  1823.  Consequently,  Sir  Henry, 
although  not  four  years  old  complete  until  the 
17th  day  of  June,  had,  on  the  27th  of  May,  to 
carry  the  regulated  weight  —  agreeably  to  the 
then  rules  of  the  course  — for  a  four-year-old,  viz. 
108  pounds.  Eclipse,  being  nine  years  old,  car- 
ried weight  for  an  aged  horse,  126  pounds. 


Eclipse  and  Henry  151 

"  At  length  the  appointed  hour  arrived,  the 
word  was  given  to  saddle,  and  immediately  after- 
ward to  mount.  Eclipse  was  ridden  by  William 
Crafts,  dressed  in  a  crimson  jacket  and  cap,  and 
Sir  Henry  by  a  Virginia  boy,  of  the  name  of  John 
Walden,  dressed  in  a  sky-blue  jacket  with  cap  of 
same  color.  The  custom  on  the  Union  Course 
is  to  run  to  the  left  about,  or  with  the  left 
hand  next  to  the  poles ;  Eclipse,  by  lot,  had  the 
left  or  inside  station  at  the  start.  Sir  Henry  took 
his  ground  about  twenty-five  feet  wdde  of  him,  to 
the  right,  with  the  evident  intention  of  making  a 
run  in  a  straight  line  for  the  lead.  The  precon- 
certed signal  was  a  single  tap  of  the  drum.  All 
was  now  breathless  anxiety ;  the  horses  came  up 
evenly ;  the  eventful  signal  was  heard,  they  went 
off  handsomely  together. 

"  Henry,  apparently  quickest,  made  play  from 
the  score,  obtained  the  lead,  and  then  took  a  hard 
pull.  By  the  time  they  had  gone  the  first  quarter 
of  a  mile,  which  brought  them  round  the  first 
turn,  to  the  commencement  of  what  is  termed  the 
back  side  of  the  course,  which  is  a  straight  run, 
comprising  the  second  quarter  of  a  mile,  he  was 
full  three  lengths  ahead ;  this  distance  he  with 
little  variation  maintained,  running  steadily,  with 


152  The  American  Thoroughbred 

a  hard  pull,  during  the  first,  second,  third,  and  for 
about  three-fourths  of  the  fourth  round  or  mile ; 
the  pace  all  this  time  a  killing  one. 

"  It  may  be  proper  to  note  that  the  course  is 
nearly  an  oval,  of  one  mile,  with  this  small  varia- 
tion, that  the  back  and  front  are  straight  lines  of 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  each,  connected  at  each 
extremity  by  semicircles  of  also  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  each.  When  the  horses  were  going  the  last 
round,  being  myself  well  mounted,  I  took  my 
station  at  the  commencement  of  the  stretch  or 
last  quarter,  where  I  expected  a  violent  exertion 
would  be  made  at  this  last  straight  run  in,  when 
they  left  the  straight  part  on  the  back  of  the 
course,  and  entered  upon  the  last  turn.  Henry 
was,  as  heretofore,  not  less  than  three  lengths  in 
the  clear  ahead.  They  had  not  proceeded  more 
than  twenty  rods  upon  the  first  part  of  the  sweep, 
when  Eclipse  made  play,  and  the  spur  and  whip 
were  both  applied  freely;  when  they  were  at  the 
extreme  point  or  centre  of  the  sweep,  I  observed 
the  right  hand  of  Crafts  disengaged  from  his 
bridle,  making  free  use  of  his  whip ;  when  they 
had  swept  about  three-fourths  of  the  way  round 
the  turn,  and  had  advanced  within  twenty-five 
rods  of  my  station,  I  clearly  saw  that  Crafts  was 


Eclipse  and  Henry  153 

making  every  exertion  with  both  spur  and  whip  to 
get  Eclipse  forward,  and  scored  him  sorely,  both 
before  and  behind  the  girths;  at  this  moment 
Eclipse  threw  his  tail  into  the  air,  and  flirted  it 
up  and  down,  after  the  manner  of  a  tired  horse, 
or  one  in  distress  and  great  pain ;  and  John 
Buckley,  the  jockey,  and  present  trainer,  whom 
I  kept  stationed  by  my  side,  observed,  '  Eclipse  is 
done.' 

"  When  they  passed  me  about  the  commence- 
ment of  the  stretch,  seventy  to  eighty  rods  from 
home,  the  space  between  them  was  about  sixteen 
feet,  or  a  full  length  and  a  half  in  the  clear. 
Here  the  rider  of  Henry  turned  his  head  round, 
and  took  a  view  for  an  instant  of  his  adversary ; 
Walden  used  neither  whip  nor  spur;  but  main- 
tained a  hard  and  steady  pull,  under  which  his 
horse  appeared  accustomed  to  run.  Crafts  con- 
tinued to  make  free  use  of  the  whip;  his  right 
hand  in  so  doing  was  necessarily  disengaged 
from  the  bridle,  his  arm  often  raised  high  in 
air,  his  body  thrown  abroad,  and  his  seat  loose 
and  unsteady;  not  having  strength  to  hold  and 
gather  his  horse  with  one  hand  and  at  the  same 
time  keep  his  proper  position  ;  in  order  to  acquire 
a  greater  purchase,  he  had  thrown  his  body  quite 


154  The  Anwricjiu   Tborougbbrcd 

back  to  the  cantle  of  the  saddle,  stuck  his  feet 
forward  bv  way  of  bracins^  himself  with  the  aid 
of  the  stirrups,  and  in  this  style  he  was  belabor- 
ing his  horse,  going  in  the  last  quarter.  Buckley 
exclaimed,  —  and  well  he  might.  —  *  Good  G — d, 
look  at  Billy ! ' 

"  From  this  place  to  the  winning  post,  Eclipse 
gained  but  a  few  feet,  Henry  coming  in  ahead 
about  a  length  in  the  clear.  The  shortest  time 
of  this  heat,  as  returned  by  the  judges  on  the 
stand,  was  7  minutes,  37^  seconds.  Many 
watches,  and  mine  —  which  was  held  by  a  gen- 
tleman on  the  stand — among  others,  made  it  7 
minutes,  40  seconds ;  and  this  time  the  Southern 
gentlemen  reported. 

"  I  pushed  immediately  up  to  the  winning  post, 
in  order  to  view  the  situation  of  the  respective 
horses,  after  this  very  trying  and  severe  heat ;  for 
it  was  in  fact  running  the  whole  four  miles.  Sir 
Henry  was  less  distressed  than  I  expected  to  find 
him ;  Eclipse  also  bore  it  well,  but  of  the  two  he 
appeared  the  most  jaded ;  the  injudicious  manner 
in  which  he  had  been  ridden  had  certainly  an- 
noyed and  unnecessarily  distressed  him  ;  the  cause 
of  his  throwing  out  his  tail,  and  flirting  it  up  and 
down,  as    already  observed,   was    now    apparent. 


Eclipse  and  Henry 


DD 


Crafts,  in  using  his  whip  wildly,  had  struck  him 
too  far  back,  and  had  cut  him  not  only  upon  his 
sheath,  but  had  made  a  deep  incision  upon  his 
testicles,  and  it  was  no  doubt  the  violent  pain 
occasioned  thereby  that  caused  the  noble  animal 
to  complain,  and  motion  with  his  tail,  indicative 
of  the  torture  he  suffered.  The  blood  flowed 
profusely  from  one  or  both  of  these  foul  cuts,  and 
trickling  down  the  inside  of  his  hind  legs,  ap- 
peared conspicuously  upon  the  white  hind  foot, 
and  gave  a  more  doleful  appearance  to  the 
discouraging  scene  of  a  lost  heat. 

"  The  incapacity  of  Crafts  to  manage  Eclipse 
—  who  required  much  urging,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  be  pulled  hard  —  was  apparent  to  all ;  he 
being  a  slender-made  lad,  in  body  weight  about 
loo  pounds  only.  A  person  interested  in  the 
event,  seeing  Buckley,  who  had  ridden  the  horse 
on  a  former  occasion,  with  me,  requested  that  I 
would  keep  him  within  call,  and  ready  to  ride 
in  case  of  an  emergency.  It  was,  however,  soon 
settled,  and  announced,  that  Mr.  Purdy  would  ride 
him  the  second  heat,  upon  which  long  faces  grew 
shorter,  and  Northern  hope  revived.  Six  to  four 
was,  nevertheless,  offered  on  the  Southern  horse, 
but  no  takers. 


156  The  American  Thoroughbred 

"  Second  heat.  The  horses,  after  a  lapse  of 
thirty  minutes,  were  called  up  for  a  second  heat. 
I  attentively  viewed  Eclipse  while  saddling,  and 
was  suiprised  to  find  that  to  appearance  he  had 
not  only  entirely  recovered,  but  seemed  full  of 
mettle,  lashing  and  reaching  out  with  his  hind 
feet,  anxious  and  impatient  to  renew  the  contest. 
Mr.  Purdy,  having  mounted  his  favorite,  was 
perfectly  at  home,  and  self-confident. 

"  The  signal  being  again  given,  he  went  off 
rapidly  from  the  start ;  Sir  Henry  being  now  en- 
titled to  the  inside,  took  the  track,  and  kept  the 
lead,  followed  closely  by  Eclipse,  whom  Mr. 
Purdy  at  once  brought  to  his  work,  knowing  that 
game  and  stoutness  was  his  play,  and  his  only 
chance  of  success  that  of  driving  his  speedy 
adversary  up  to  the  top  of  his  rate,  without  giv- 
ing him  the  least  respite.  Henry  went  steadily 
on,  nearly  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  keeping  a 
gap  open  between  himself  and  Eclipse,  of  about 
twenty  feet  without  much  variation,  for  about  two 
miles  and  seven-eighths,  or  until,  toward  the  con- 
clusion of  the  third  mile,  they  had  arrived  nearly 
opposite  the  four-mile  distance  post. 

"  Here  Mr.  Purdy  made  his  run,  and  when  they 
had  advanced  forty  rods  further,  which  brought 


Eclipse  and  Henry  157 

them  to  the  end  of  the  third  mile,  was  close  up, 
say  nose  and  tail.  They  now  entered  upon  the 
fourth  and  last  mile,  which  commences  with  a 
turn  or  sweep  the  moment  you  leave  the  starting 
post.  Here  the  crowd  was  immense;  I  was  at 
this  moment  on  horseback,  stationed  down  the 
stretch  or  straight  run,  a  short  distance  below 
the  winning  post,  in  company  with  a  friend  and 
Buckley,  the  jockey,  who  kept  close  to  me  during 
the  whole  race.  We  pushed  out  into  the  centre, 
or  open  space  of  the  ground,  in  order  to  obtain  a 
more  distinct  view  of  the  struggle,  which  we  saw 
making,  for  the  lead. 

"  Everything  depended  upon  this  effort  of 
Purdy ;  well  he  knew  it ;  his  case  was  a  desperate 
one,  and  required  a  desperate  attempt;  it  was  to 
risk  all,  for  all ;  he  did  not  hesitate.  When  the 
horses  had  got  about  one-third  of  the  way  round 
the  sweep  they  had  so  far  cleared  the  crowd  as  to 
afford  us  a  distinct  view  of  them  a  little  before 
they  reached  the  centre  of  the  turn. 

"  Eclipse  had  lapped  Henry  about  head  and 
girth  and  appeared  evidently  in  the  act  of  passing. 
Here  Buckley  vociferated,  '  See  Eclipse !  look  at 
Purdy !  By  heaven,  on  the  inside ! '  I  was  all 
attention.     Purdy  was  on  the  left  hand,  or  inside 


158  The  American  Tborougbbred 

of  Henry;  I  felt  alarmed  for  the  consequence, 
satisfied  that  he  had  thus  hazarded  all ;  I  feared 
that  Walden  would  take  advantage  of  his  posi- 
tion, and  by  reining  in,  force  him  against  or 
inside  one  of  the  poles.  When  they  had  pro- 
ceeded a  little  more  than  half-way  round  the 
sweep,  the  horses  were  a  dead  lap ;  when  about 
three-fourths  round,  Eclipse's  quarter  covered 
Henry's  head  and  neck;  and  just  as  they  had 
finished  the  bend  and  entered  upon  the  straight 
run,  which  extends  along  the  back  part  of  the 
course,  Eclipse  for  the  first  time  was  fairly  clear 
and  ahead.  He  now  with  the  help  of  the  per- 
suaders, which  were  freely  bestowed,  kept  up  his 
run,  and  continued  gradually,  though  slowly,  to 
gain  during  the  remaining  three-quarters  of  a 
mile,  and  came  in  about  two  lengths  ahead.  As 
they  passed  up  the  stretch  or  last  quarter  of  a  mile, 
the  shouting,  clapping  of  hands,  waving  of  hand- 
kerchiefs, long  and  loud  applause  sent  forth  by  the 
Eclipse  party  exceeded  all  description ;  it  seemed 
to  roll  along  the  track  as  the  horses  advanced, 
resembling  the  loud  and  reiterated  shout  of 
contending  armies. 

"  I  have  been  thus   particular   in    stating   that 
Mr.  Purdy  made  his  pass  on  the  inside,   under- 


Eclipse  and  Henry  159 

standing  that  many  gentlemen,  and  particularly 
Mr.  Stevens,  the  principal  in  the  match  on  the 
part  of  Eclipse  —  and  for  aught  I  know  Mr. 
Purdy  himself — insist  that  the  go  by  was  given 
on  the  outside.  After  the  heat  was  over,  I  found 
that  my  friend  Mr.  M.  Buckley,  and  myself,  were 
far  from  the  only  persons  that  had  observed  the 
mode  in  which  Mr.  Purdy  ran  up  and  took  the 
inside  track  from  his  adversary.  The  circum- 
stance was  in  the  mouths  of  hundreds.  In  cor- 
roboration of  which,  I  will  quote  a  passage  from 
the  New  York  Evening  Post,  of  May  28,  1823, 
giving  a  description  of  this  second  heat :  — 

" '  Henry  took  the  lead  as  in  the  first  heat, 
until  about  two-thirds  around  on  the  third  mile, 
when  Purdy  seized,  with  a  quickness  and  dexterity 
peculiar  to  himself,  the  favorable  moment  that 
presented,  when  appearing  to  aim  at  the  outside, 
he  might  gain  the  inside,  made  a  dash  at  him 
accordingly,  2ind passed kim  on  the  left' 

"  Here,  then,  the  observations  of  many,  inde- 
pendent of  my  friend  Mr.  M.  Buckley  or  myself, 
added  to  the  instantaneous  and  striking  remark 
of  Buckley,  which  did  not  fail  to  rivet  my  peculiar 
attention,  form  a  wonderful  coincidence.  Thus 
circumstanced,  and    long  conversant    with    turf 


i6o  The  American  Tborougbhred 

matters,  rules,  and  practices,  and  familiar  with 
sights  of  this  kind,  it  was  impossible  I  could  be 
mistaken.  I  was  not  mistaken,  the  honest  belief 
of  some  gentlemen  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing. 

"  Time,  this  second  heat,  7  minutes,  49  seconds. 

"  Third  heat.  It  was  now  given  out,  that  in 
place  of  the  boy  Walden,  who  had  rode  Sir 
Henry  the  two  preceding  heats,  that  Arthur 
Taylor,  a  trainer  of  great  experience,  and  long  a 
rider  equalled  by  few  and  surpassed  by  none, 
would  ride  him  this  last  and  decisive  heat.  At 
the  expiration  of  30  minutes  the  horses  were 
once  more  summoned  to  the  starting  post,  and 
Purdy  and  Taylor  mounted ;  the  word  being 
given,  they  went  off  at  a  quick  rate ;  Purdy  now 
taking  the  lead,  and  pushing  Eclipse  from  the 
score ;  and  indeed,  the  whole  four  miles,  applying 
the  whip  and  spur  incessantly ;  evidently  resolved 
to  give  Sir  Henry  no  respite,  but  to  cause  him,  if 
determined  to  trail,  to  employ  all  his  speed  and 
strength,  without  keeping  anything  in  reserve  for 
the  run  in.  Sir  Henry  continued  to  trail,  appar- 
ently under  a  pull,  never  attempting  to  come  up, 
until  they  had  both  fairly  entered  the  straight 
run  towards  the  extermination  of  the   last   mile. 


Eclipse  and  Henry  i6i 

and  had  advanced  within  about  60  rods  from 
home. 

"  Here  Sir  Henry  being  about  five  yards  behind, 
made  a  dash,  and  ran  up  to  Echpse,  so  far  as  to 
cover  his  quarter  or  haunch  with  his  head,  and 
for  a  moment  had  the  appearance  of  going  past ; 
he  made  a  severe  struggle  for  about  two  hundred 
yards,  when  he  again  fell  in  the  rear,  and  gave 
up  the  contest. 

"Thus  terminated  the  most  interesting  race  ever 
run  in  the  United  States.  Besides  the  original 
stake  of  $20,000  each,  it  was  judged  that  upwards 
of  $200,000  changed  hands. 

"  In  this  last  heat  Sir  Henry  carried  1 10  pounds, 
being  2  pounds  over  his  proper  weight ;  it  not 
being  possible  to  bring  Arthur  Taylor  to  ride  less, 
and  although  a  small  horse,  and  wanting  twenty 
days  of  being  four  years  old,  he  made  the  greatest 
run  ever  witnessed  in  America. 

"  Time,  this  heat,  8  minutes,  24  seconds. 

"  Thus  the  three  heats,  or  twelve  miles,  were 
run  in  23  minutes,  50J  seconds,  or  an  average  of  7 
minutes,  57  seconds  each  heat;  or  i  minute,  59 
seconds  per  mile. 

"  Notwithstanding  this  defeat,  the  Southern 
sportsmen  continued  to  be  inspired  with  so  much 


1 62  The  American  Thoroughbred 

confidence  in  their  horse,  that  they  offered  to  renew 
the  contest  for  a  much  larger  amount,  as  appears 
by  the  following  challenge  and  the  answer  thereto, 
which  I  give  as  connected  with  the  event :  — 

"Long  Island,  May  28,  1823. 
"  To  John  C.  Stevens,  Esq. 

"Sir:  I  will  run  the  horse  Henry  against  the  horse 
Eclipse  at  Washington  City,  next  fall,  the  day  before  the 
Jockey  Club  purse  is  run  for,  for  any  sum  from  twenty  to  fifty 
thousand  dollars  ;  forfeit  ten  thousand  dollars.  The  forfeit 
and  stake  to  be  deposited  in  the  Branch  Bank  of  the  United 
States  at  Washington,  at  any  namable  time,  to  be  appointed 
by  you. 

"  Although  this  is  addressed  to  you  individually,  it  is  in- 
tended for  all  the  betters  on  Eclipse,  and  if  agreeable  to  you 
and  them,  you  may  have  the  liberty  of  substituting  at  the  start- 
ing post,  in  the  place  of  Eclipse,  any  horse,  mare,  or  gelding, 
foaled  and  owned  on  the  northern  and  eastern  side  of  the 
North  River,  provided,  I  have  the  liberty  of  substituting  in 
the  place  of  Henry,  at  the  starting  post,  any  horse,  mare,  or 
gelding,  foaled  and  owned  on  the  south  side  of  the  Potomac. 
As  we  propose  running  at  Washington  City,  the  rules  of  that 
Jockey  Club  must  govern  of  course. 

"  I  am  respectfully,  yours, 

"William  R.  Johnson." 

Afiszver 
"  Dear  Sir  :     The  bet  just  decided  was  made  under  cir- 
cumstances of    excitement,  which    might  in  some    measure 
apologize  for  its  rashness,  but  would  scarcely  justify  it  as  an 


Eclipse  and  Henry  163 

example  ;  and  I  trust  the  part  I  took  in  it  will  not  be  consid- 
ered as  a  proof  of  my  intention  to  become  a  patron  of  sport- 
ing on  so  extensive  a  scale.  For  myself,  then,  I  must  decline 
the  offer.  For  the  gentlemen  who  with  me  backed  Eclipse, 
their  confidence  in  his  superiority,  I  may  safely  say,  is  not  in 
the  least  impaired.  But  even  they  do  not  hesitate  to  believe, 
that  old  age  and  hard  service  may  one  day  accomplish,  what 
strength  and  fleetness,  directed  by  consummate  skill,  has 
hitherto  failed  to  accomplish. 

"  For  Mr.  Van  Ranst  I  answer,  that  he  owes  it  to  the  asso- 
ciation who  have  so  confidently  supported  him,  to  the  State  at 
large,  who  have  felt  and  expressed  so  much  interest  in  his 
success,  and  to  himself  as  a  man,  not  totally  divested  of  feel- 
ing, never,  on  any  consideration,  to  risk  the  life  or  reputation 
of  the  noble  animal,  whose  generous,  and  almost  incredible 
exertions,  have  gained  for  the  North  so  signal  a  victory,  and 
for  himself  such  well-earned  and  never-failing  renown. 

"  I  remain,  sir,  your  most  obedient  servant, 
"  John  C.  Stevens." 

This  graceful  declination  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Stevens  ended  forever  the  public  rivalry  of 
Eclipse  and  Henry.  That  the  Southerners  did 
not  believe  that  their  horse  had  been  defeated 
strictly  upon  his  merits  is  evidenced  by  the  quick 
return  challenge  sent  by  Colonel  Johnson.  Sir 
Henry  was  compelled  to  return  to  Virginia  with- 
out having  opportunity  for  revenge  upon  his  dis- 
tinguished Northern  rival. 


1 64  The  American  Tboroiigbhred 

The  career  of  Sir  Henry  was,  however,  of  such 
brilliancy  as  to  recompense  his  Virginia  and 
Maryland  sympathizers  for  the  anguish  of  their 
defeat  on  the  first  excursion  made  North  to  meet 
the  flower  of  the  Long  Island  turf. 

After  this  race  the  Union  Course  had  a  national 
name  where  previously  its  fame  had  been  entirely 
local,  and  it  was  selected  as  the  ground  upon 
which  the  champions  of  many  years  to  come 
were  to  meet  for  final  decision.  Colonel  William 
R.  Johnson  lived  to  have  many  victories  upon 
the  old  course,  and  he  lived  also  to  experience 
another  killing  defeat  to  the  horse  which  he 
loved  above  all  others  that  ever  raced  in  his 
distinguished   name. 

Apropos  of  Randolph,  the  Virginia  statesman 
was  a  careful  breeder  and  one  of  the  most  de- 
voted patrons  of  the  turf.  His  horses  were 
usually  trained  and  run  by  his  friend,  W.  R. 
Johnson.  Randolph's  peculiarities  and  sarcastic 
tongue  made  him  enemies  on  the  turf  as  well  as 
in  political  circles.  Although  he  provoked  the 
distinguished  Kentuckian,  Henry  Clay,  a  patron 
of  the  turf  like  himself,  to  stand  face  to  face  with 
him  in  a  duelling  encounter  solely  that  he  might 
gratify  his  inordinate  greed  of  notoriety,  we  can- 


Eclipse  and  Henry  165 

not  forget  how  chivalrously  he  received  Clay's 
fire.  This  duel  made  him  the  warm  friend  of  the 
sage  of  Ashland ;  and  when  Randolph,  weak  and 
dying,  visited  the  senate-chamber  for  the  last 
time,  his  soul  shone  out  in  all  its  true  nobility 
and  he  paid  a  touching  and  beautiful  tribute  to 
the  oratorical  powers  of  the  great  Kentuckian,  in 
asking  to  be  raised  up  from  the  sofa  in  order  that 
he  might  for  the  last  time  on  earth  hear  Henry 
Clay  speak.  These  were  his  words  :  "  Raise  me 
up ;  I  wish  to  listen  to  that  voice  once  more." 
Beautiful,  are  they  not,  especially  when  we  think 
of  them  in  connection  with  the  arrogance  of  the 
patrician  representative  from  Virginia  to  Speaker 
Clay  in  the  winter  of  1815-16  ? 

The  game  qualities  of  American  Eclipse  were 
transmitted  by  him  to  his  descendants.  His 
daughter  Ariel  was  one  of  the  greatest  racers  ever 
on  the  turf.  In  her  memorable  career  she  ran 
fifty-seven  races,  aggregating  three  hundred  and 
forty-five  miles,  and  was  a  winner  forty-two  times. 
She  was  bred  in  1822  at  Flatbush,  Long  Island; 
her  dam  was  by  Financier,  her  grandam  Em- 
press by  imported  Baronet,  and  her  great- 
grandam  by  imported  Messenger. 

Ariel  was  a  very  handsome  mare,  a  gray,  of 


1 66  The  American  TboroiLgbbred 

good  proportions,  fine  action,  and  about  fifteen 
hands  high.  Her  greatest  race,  or  at  least  the 
one  which  attracted  the  most  attention,  was  with 
General  William  Wynn's  bay  mare  Flirtilla  by 
Sir  Archy,  dam  by  Robin  Redbreast,  When  it 
was  announced  that  the  Northern  mare  Ariel  was 
matched  against  the  Southern  mare  Flirtilla,  a 
race  of  three-mile  heats,  for  $20,000,  an  enthu- 
siasm was  awakened  in  the  two  sections  sur- 
passed only  by  the  great  conflict  between  Henry 
and  Eclipse.  The  same  strains  of  blood  were 
brought  together,  for  Flirtilla  was  the  half-sister 
of  Henry,  and  Ariel  the  daughter  of  Eclipse. 

The  race  was  run  on  the  Union  Course, 
October  31,  1825,  in  the  presence  of  the  largest 
turf  gathering  on  Long  Island  since  the  battle 
fought  by  the  two  chestnuts  on  that  never-to- 
be-forgotten  27th  of  May.  Ariel  was  but  three 
years  old,  while  Flirtilla  was  five,  so  the  advan- 
tage of  age  this  time  was  on  the  side  of  the 
South.  Colonel  Johnson  trained  Flirtilla,  and  he 
directed  her  running  in  the  match,  having  learned 
prudence,  and  to  avoid  lobster  suppers  on  the  eve 
of  battle. 

Ariel  won  the  first  heat,  and  Flirtilla  the 
second    and  third,  thus  retrieving  the   honor  of 


Eclipse  and  Henry  167 

the  South.  The  time  of  the  running  in  this  race 
was  very  good,  both  of  the  animals  exhibiting 
qualities  of  speed  and  endurance  —  qualities 
that  challenge  the  admiration  of  the  turfman, 
and  qualities  that  the  breeder  always  aims  to 
combine. 

Famous  as  a  racer,  Ariel  was  next  to  a  failure 
in  the  breeding  stud.  Her  first  colt  was  foaled 
in  1832;  it  was  a  filly,  and  strongly  inbred,  the 
gray  mare  having  been  bred  back  to  her  own 
sire,  American  Eclipse.  Ariel  produced  two 
other  colts,  but  none  of  them  ever  achieved 
much  of  a  reputation  on  the  turf. 

It  is  thought  by  many  who  have  given  serious 
study  to  the  problem  that  a  long  and  trying 
career  as  a  racer  renders  a  mare  unfit  for  the 
breeding  stud.  The  course  of  training  is  very 
severe,  and  if  it  is  kept  up  for  a  series  of  years, 
it  is  claimed  that  it  has  an  injurious  effect  upon 
the  reproductive  powers.  Be  the  argument  true 
or  not,  certain  it  is  that  the  produce  of  many  of 
our  most  celebrated  race-mares  have  failed  to 
reflect  honor  upon  their  dams.  Mary  Randolph, 
a  gray  mare  of  excellent  breeding,  sixteen  hands 
high,  got  by  Gohanna,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy,  foaled 
in  March,  1828,  was  a  brilliant  performer  on  the 


1 68  The  American  Thoroughbred 

turf ;  but  in  the  stud  she  was  a  total  failure. 
She  ran  in  nothing  but  heat  races,  and  in  all  she 
had  to  struggle  to  win.  For  two  years  the  strain 
upon  her  nervous  system  was  kept  up,  and  when 
she  retired  from  the  turf  the  glory  of  her  life  was 
at  an  end.  She  replenished  the  earth  with  the 
fruit  of  her  womb ;  but  not  one  of  her  offspring 
was  worthy  to  wear  the  crown  tha^t  she  had  won  for 
herself.  Fashion,  the  chestnut  mare,  the  daughter 
of  imported  Trustee  and  Bonnets  o'  Blue  by  Sir 
Charles,  —  she  that  astonished  the  world  by  her 
gameness  and  marvellous  speed,  —  was  on  the 
turf  for  about  ten  years,  during  which  time  she 
ran  many  hard  races,  but  she  did  not  give  satisfac- 
tion as  a  brood-mare.  Her  first  three  colts  were 
worthless  —  a  fact  that  maybe  partially  accounted 
for  on  the  theory  that  consanguinity  of  blood 
impairs  constitutional  vigor;  for  Fashion,  for 
three  successive  years,  was  bred  to  Mariner,  her 
half-brother.  Her  fourth  foal.  Young  Fashion,  by 
imported  Monarch,  proved  a  good  brood-mare, 
but  was  not  highly  successful  as  a  racer.  Her 
eighth  colt,  Dangerous,  by  imported  Bonnie 
Scotland,  was  a  successful  turf  horse,  dangerous 
not  simply  in  name,  but  on  the  field  of 
battle. 


Eclipse  and  Henry  169 

Facts,  we  see,  are  somewhat  conflicting;  but, 
without  going  to  the  extreme  that  Mr.  Blenkiron, 
an  eminent  EngHsh  breeder,  went,  who  frequently 
said  that  he  would  rather  have  the  sister  of  a 
Derby  winner  for  a  brood-mare  than  the  Derby 
winner  herself,  we  may  safely  claim  that  a  long 
and  arduous  career  on  the  turf  is  calculated  to 
weaken  rather  than  improve  the  breeding  powers 
of  an  animal.  And  when  the  life  of  the  reproduc- 
tive powers  has  been  temporarily  impaired  by  the 
ordeal  of  training,  rest  and  the  act  of  generation 
for  two  or  three  succeeding  years  seem  to  restore 
wasted  or  restricted  vitality.  Alice  Carneal,  the 
dam  of  the  immortal  Lexington,  came  of  good 
racing  blood  and  was  a  fine  race-mare  herself; 
but  owing  to  her  bad  temper  when  at  the  post 
waiting  for  the  tap  of  the  drum,  she  was  early 
withdrawn  from  the  turf.  She  passed  through 
no  exhausting  ordeal  as  a  racer,  and  as  a  brood- 
mare she  was  a  success.  But  Lexington  was  her 
fifth  foal.  Reel,  the  dam  of  Lecompte,  Prioress, 
and  Stark,  and  Picayune,  the  dam  of  Doubloon, 
Lou  Dore,  etc.,  were  promising  racers  in  their 
early  forms ;  but  breaking  down  young,  and 
going  into  the  stud,  they  were  made  famous 
through   their    descendants.       Had    neither   met 


170  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

with  an  accident,  we  question  not  but  that  both 
would  have  won  laurels  on  the  race-course,  and 
possibly  would  have  failed  to  make  reputations 
as  brood-mares.  These  facts  do  not  stamp  the 
turf  as  an  agency  injurious  to  horseflesh ;  but 
they  impress  upon  us  the  importance  of  practis- 
ing moderation  in  racing,  as  we  are  required  to 
be  moderate  in  all  things. 

Whether  or  not  any  one  of  the  sixty  thousand 
people  who  thronged  the  Union  Course  on  the 
day  that  Henry  was  pitted  against  Eclipse,  in  the 
hour  of  wild  excitement,  saw  visions  of  future 
greatness  through  the  union  of  the  blood  of  the 
two  champions,  it  would  be  idle  to  guess.  But 
the  currents  did  flow  together,  and  the  result  was 
a  marvel  named  Black  Maria.  This  mare  was 
bred  by  Henry  Hall  of  Harlem,  New  York, 
and  was  foaled  June  15,  1826.  She  was  got  by 
American  Eclipse,  and  her  dam  was  the  cele- 
brated Lady  Lightfoot  by  Sir  Archy;  and  Sir 
Archy,  the  reader  will  not  forget,  was  the  sire  of 
Henry. 

Two  days  after  Black  Maria  opened  her  young 
eyes  upon  this  fair  earth  she  was  left  motherless, 
Lady  Lightfoot  dying  from  the  effects  of  a  vio- 
lent cold.     The  handsome  black  filly  developed 


Eclipse  and  Henry  lyi 

into  a  grand  racing  mare.  She  was  on  the  turf 
six  years,  during  which  time  she  started  twenty- 
five  times  and  won  thirteen  races.  Eleven  of  her 
contests  were  three  and  four  mile  heats.  Her 
purse  winnings  alone  amounted  to  nearly  ^15,000. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

WHAT    A    THOROUGHBRED    MARE    MAY   DO 

Black  Maria's  most  memorable  race  was  for 
the  Jockey  Club  Purse  of  $600,  four-mile  heats, 
over  the  Union  Course,  Saturday,  October  13, 
1832.  Four  started —  Lady  Relief,  Slim  by  Fly- 
ing Childers,  Black  Maria,  and  the  nonpareil 
Trifle.  Black  Maria  won  the  first  heat;  made  a 
dead  heat  with  Trifle  for  the  second ;  the  third 
heat  was  taken  by  Trifle,  the  fourth  by  Lady 
Relief,  and  the  fifth  and  race  by  the  dashing 
daughter  of  Eclipse  and  Lady  Lightfoot.  The 
track  was  heavy,  and  yet,  to  achieve  a  victory, 
twenty  miles  had  to  be  run. 

The  race  was  such  a  one  as  had  not  been  run 
before  on  the  turf  of  any  country,  and  has  never 
been  repeated.  Racing  courage  has,  in  all  story 
of  the  turf,  never  been  more  magnificently  demon- 
strated than  by  three  of  these  mares  that  afternoon. 

Several  interesting  stories  of  this  remarkable 
race  have  been  published,  but  the  most  accurate 
172 


IV hat  a  Thoroughbred  Mare  may  do     173 

and  graphic  one  was  penned  by  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  New  York  bar.  It  appeared  as  a 
communication  in  the  Turf  Register,  in  the 
number  for  December,  1832,  and  was  to  the  fol- 
lowing effect:  — 

"  After  the  horses  were  brought  upon  the 
ground  much  anxiety  was  exhibited  as  to  the 
outcome  of  the  coming  contest,  and  the  interest- 
ing little  Trifle  appeared  to  be  the  favorite 
among  the  betters  as  well  as  the  spectators. 
'  Five  to  four,  Trifle  against  the  field,'  was  the 
current  betting,  and  '  five  to  three.  Trifle  against 
Black  Maria,'  were  repeatedly  offered  and  refused. 
Indeed,  this  offspring  of  the  far-famed  Lady 
Lightfoot  seemed  to  have  but  few  friends  or 
well-wishers,  comparatively  speaking;  and  bets 
were  repeatedly  offered  that  she  would  not  take 
a  heat. 

"  Black  Maria,  in  size  and  general  appearance, 
is  in  all  respects  unlike  her  rival,  as  is  well  known 
to  Southern  as  well  as  Northern  sportsmen. 
Her  color  is  indicated  by  her  name,  and  her 
great  size,  strength,  and  stride  show  her  a  worthy 
daughter  of  a  noble  sire.  Indeed  in  her  the 
blood  of  Eclipse  and  Lady  Lightfoot  are  in  no 
way  disgraced,  as  this  race  will  most  fully  prove. 


174  Tbe  American  Tborougbbred 

"  Lady  Relief  and  Slim  were  almost  unknown 
to  fame ;  but  certain  individuals  present  were 
aware  that  the  former  had,  upon  a  previous  occa- 
sion, won  the  last  half  of  sixteen  miles ;  and  they 
looked  for  sport  unexpected  by  others,  if  it  should 
happen  that  the  first  two  heats  were  not  taken 
either  by  Trifle  or  Maria.  The  latter,  it  was 
known,  had  the  foot  of  Relief,  as  they  met  on 
the  first  of  the  month  at  Poughkeepsie  and  con- 
tended together  for  the  three-mile  purse,  which 
was  taken  by  Maria  with  great  ease. 

"  At  the  tap  of  the  drum  the  four  went  well  off 
together,  Relief  taking  the  lead  within  the  first 
quarter,  closely  followed  by  Slim,  then  by  Trifle, 
and  last  but  not  least  by  Black  Maria.  The  first 
mile  indicated  a  waiting  race,  as  all  the  riders  had 
their  horses  under  the  hardest  pull,  each  seeming 
desirous  that  his  antagonists  should  take  the  lead. 
Trifle,  impatient  with  such  trifling,  began  to  make 
play,  and  this  aroused  Black  Maria,  who  was  trail- 
ing along  quietly  behind  the  whole.  With  a  few 
huge  strides  she  brought  herself  to  the  front, 
passed  the  whole  before  she  came  to  the  judges' 
stand,  followed  closely  by  the  gallant  little  Trifle, 
who  'stuck  to  her'  like  an  accompanying  phan- 
tom.    At   the   beginning   of   the  third  mile  the 


What  a  Tboroiighhred  Mare  may  do    175 

leading  nags  made  play,  and  during  the  whole  of 
it  Maria  held  the  lead,  followed  closely  by  Trifle, 
while  Relief  and  Slim  were  (and  as  we  believe, 
not  willingly)  at  a  most  respectable  distance  in 
the  rear. 

"  After  passing  the  judges'  stand  and  entering 
upon  the  fourth  mile,  and  after  compassing  the 
turn  upon  the  southerly  side  of  the  course,  Trifle 
'made  a  dash'  at  Maria  and  ran  her  so  hard 
down  the  descending  ground  upon  the  straight 
side  that  her  subtle  antagonist  (perhaps  not  un- 
willingly) gave  up  the  track,  which  was  taken 
by  the  Southern  lady  and  kept  with  apparent 
ease  round  the  turn  until  they  came  to  that 
part  of  the  course  which  looks  up  toward  the 
judges'  stand.  Here,  at  a  moment  when  all 
opinions  had  given  Trifle  the  heat  as  a  safe 
thing  that  could  not  be  missed,  Maria  went 
at  her,  and  before  you  could  count  one  she 
shot  by  Trifle  like  an  arrow  and  won  the  heat 
with  ease,  there  being  a  considerable  gap  be- 
tween herself  and  Trifle  and  a  much  greater 
one  between  the  latter  and  the  hindmost  horses." 

The  description  of  that  first  heat  in  this  won- 
derful race  practically  describes  all  of  them. 
Black  Maria,  by  virtue  of  a  speed  which  she  was 


176  The  American  Thoroughbred 

not  supposed  to  possess,  and  a  gameness  which 
has  never  since  been  surpassed  by  any  horse  on 
the  turf,  went  on,  and  by  virtue  of  an  error  on 
the  part  of  her  jockey,  made  a  dead  heat  with 
Trifle  in  the  second  four  miles.  In  the  third  she 
had  Lady  Relief  to  contend  with,  and  the  boy 
on  Black  Maria,  again  losing  his  head,  allowed 
Trifle  to  dash  at  her  in  the  last  few  strides  and 
snatch  the  third  heat  away. 

In  the  fourth  round  in  this  terrific  battle  Lady 
Relief,  who  had  taken  it  rather  easily  in  the 
previous  efforts,  came  to  and  made  a  desperate 
challenge  through  the  last  mile,  beating  Maria  in 
a  whipping  finish.  Maria  should  have  won  either 
of  the  last  three  heats.  When  she  struck  them 
for  the  fifth  time  at  going  this  four  miles  she  took 
hold  of  them  in  the  twentieth  mile  of  the  race 
and  did  just  as  Waterboy  would  do  in  this  day  — 
carried  them  so  fast  that  she  stopped  them  dead 
and  came  along  home  to  pass  the  judges'  stand 
for  the  twentieth  time,  winning  without  the  touch 
of  a  whip  or  spur. 

Take  a  good  look  at  this  accomplishment. 
Alternately  battling  with  two  other  animals. 
Black  Maria  won  the  first  heat,  dead-heated  the 
second,   was  second  in  the  third,  second  in  the 


I4^hat  a  Tbowugbbred  Mare  may  do     177 

fourth,  and  won  the  fifth.  She  was  contending 
at  the  end  of  every  four  miles.  The  track  was 
slow  and   heavy  from  recent  rains. 

We  wonder  if  there  is  a  horse  on  the  turf 
to-day  that  could  stand  up  under  such  a  perform- 
ance as  this?  We  fear  not;  for  unfortunately, 
the  English  dash  system  of  racing  has  become 
too  popular  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  for  the 
good  of  our  stock.  We  have  learned  to  look  too 
much  for  speed  and  to  pay  too  little  attention  to 
the  more  valuable  quality  of  endurance.  The 
speedy  horse,  without  lasting  powers,  is  simply 
ornamental.  The  horse  that  can  go  fast  and  long 
is  not  only  ornamental  but  useful.  He  is  of  some 
practical  account,  even  when  no  longer  able  to 
carry  the  colors  to  the  front  when  opposed  by 
younger  and  more  nimble  companions.  It  is  a 
sad  commentary  upon  our  system  of  racing  when 
a  purse  for  a  contest  of  four  miles  —  a  four-mile 
dash,  not  heats,  please  bear  in  mind — fails  to 
secure  a  run  worthy  of  the  name  of  race. 

Not  everything  is  said  about  this  Black 
Maria  when  we  are  told  she  won  the  greatest 
endurance  four-mile  race  ever  brought  off  in  this 
or  any  other  man's  land.  There  is  no  record 
of  any  performing  mare  on  the  American   turf 


178  The  American  Tborougbbred 

which  ecHpses  that  of  the  big  black  one  that  was 
foaled  right  up  yonder  in  Harlem  and  did  all  of 
her  racing  almost  within  sight  of  the  New  York 
City  Hall. 

She  had  a  thoroughbred  sportsman  for  an 
owner,  and  it  was  his  pride  always  to  compel 
her  to  keep  any  engagement  which  he  might 
make  for  her.  That  she  would  occasionally  go 
out  of  condition,  and  that  she  was  sent  to  the 
post  any  number  of  times  when  she  should  have 
been  in  the  stable,  is  the  tale  which  the  old 
records  tell  of  her.  John  C.  Stevens  would 
never  consent  to  scratching  her  when  he  had 
promised  the  public  a  view  of  her. 

After  her  wonderful  accomplishment,  when  she 
beat  Trifle  and  Lady  Relief,  she  was  the  most 
popular  racing  animal  of  her  day  and  could  draw 
more  people  to  see  her  race  than  anything  living. 
She  was  literally  hammered  to  death,  and  her 
frequent  defeats  can  be  ascribed  only  to  the  mis- 
management of  her  high-spirited  owner,  who  liked 
it  to  be  known  that  he  never  paid  forfeit,  never 
allowed  a  walk-over  if  a  horse  in  his  stable  could 
stand  on  three  legs,  and  who  would  always  go 
into  a  stake  or  a  field  to  make  it  up  without  so 
much  as  consulting  his  trainer. 


H^bat  a  Thoroughbred  Mare  may  do     I'jc) 

In  the  hands  of  a  gentleman  less  regardful  of 
the  gratification  of  the  public  and  more  alive  to 
his  own  interests,  it  is  very  doubtful  if  Black 
Maria  would  not  have  run  many  years  longer  and 
brought  many  thousands  of  dollars  home  with 
her.  John  C.  Stevens  was  first  and  last  a  sports- 
man, and  Black  Maria  was  his  racing  pride. 

Her  very  first  try  was  in  a  produce  match  for 
$5000  a  side  when  she  was  a  three-year-old.  Her 
opponent  was  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson's 
brown  colt  Brilliant,  by  Sir  Archy.  This  match 
was  made  on  blood  before  either  colt  was  foaled, 
and  naturally  excited  more  than  ordinary  interest, 
although  it  was  the  first  start  for  the  mare  that 
was  afterward  to  be  so  famous. 

It  was  another  one  of  those  North  vs.  South 
races,  which,  it  may  be  interesting  to  note,  pre- 
ceded but  briefly  that  personal  rivalry  between 
the  two  sections  that  had  so  unfortunate  a  cul- 
mination in  1 86 1.  It  being  the  first  appearance 
of  both  performers,  little  or  nothing  was  known 
outside  of  the  stables  of  the  speed  or  endur- 
ance of  either.  Maria  looked  like  a  good  'un ; 
but  then  Brilliant  was  brought  to  the  post  by 
a  first-rate  judge  and  crack  trainer.  Colonel  John- 
son, who  showed  that  he  knew  a  hawk  from  a 


i8o  The  American  Tborougbbred 

handsaw  by  offering  to  pay  $1750  to  call  it  off. 
The  full  forfeit  was  ^2500.  Rather  than  pay 
that,  the  Colonel  started  Brilliant  and  had  the 
dissatisfaction  of  seeing  him  finish  second  to 
Black   Maria  in  both  heats. 

She  had  her  first  trial  at  four-mile  running  in 
the  following  spring,  when  she  finished  second  to 
Slender,  a  five-year-old  mare  by  Sir  Charles.  As 
a  four-year-old  Black  Maria  went  along,  to  be 
beaten  nine  days  later  at  three-mile  heats  by  an 
aged  mare  called  Lady  Flirt.  There  were  four 
starters,  and  Black  Maria  was  second  in  the  two 
heats.  Not  going  again  to  the  post  until  the  follow- 
ing October,  or  in  1830,  Black  Maria  beat  Leopold, 
Lady  Hunter,  and  Lady  Flirt  at  four-mile  heats, 
in  straight  heats,  doing  it  cleverly,  too.  Lady 
Flirt  was  distanced  in  the  first  heat  of  this  race. 
On  October  2  2d,  Black  Maria  met  Leopold,  Peggy 
Madee,  Medora,  and  Lady  Hunter,  at  four-mile 
heats,  and  beat  them  from  end  to  end,  winning 
the  heats  straight. 

Colonel  Johnson  came  back  at  her  with  another 
one  in  the  spring  of  1831,  and  beat  her  in  straight 
heats  with  one  that  the  turf  well  remembers,  by 
name  Bonnets  o'  Blue,  by  Sir  Charles.  The  story 
of  Bonnets  o'  Blue  is  almost  as  strong  as  that  of 


IVbaf  a  Thorougbhred  Mare  may  do    i8i 

Black  Maria.  She  beat  Black  Maria  cleverly. 
Again,  within  two  weeks  of  that  race,  Black  Maria 
met  Mark  Richards  and  Splendid,  and  beat  them 
at  four-mile  heats,  winning  her  heats  straight. 

The  following  autumn,  in  1831,  she  won  one 
heat  in  three  of  a  four-mile  race  with  a  horse 
called  James  Cropper.  The  mare  was  so  plainly 
amiss  for  it  that  Cropper  was  made  favorite.  But 
at  that,  such  was  her  dogged  courage,  she  lost 
the  deciding  heat  by  a  throat-latch  only,  and 
would  have  won  in  another  stride. 

Going  down  to  Baltimore  three  weeks  after 
that,  she  went  to  the  starter  again  in  a  four-mile- 
heat  race  that  took  three  heats  for  decision. 
That  was  all  over  a  horse  race,  for,  besides  Black 
Maria,  there  were  Collier,  Virginia  Taylor,  James 
Cropper,  Busirus,  and  Eliza  Riley  in  the  race. 
Run  at  Baltimore,  afterward  the  scene  of  some 
of  the  grandest  sports  in  this  country,  the  race 
brought  lovers  of  thoroughbreds  from  ten  days' 
journey  to  the  South  and  five  days'  riding  from 
the  North.  It  was  a  vast  crowd  that  came  to  the 
race-course  that  afternoon.  The  affair  was  marked 
also  as  being  the  first  meeting  of  the  Maryland 
Jockey  Club,  and  splendid  was  the  day  and  the 
circumstances  of  it. 


1 82  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

Virginia  Taylor  won  the  first  heat  of  that 
memorable  contest.  Black  Maria's  boy  had  orders 
to  save  distance  only  in  the  first  heat.  But  in 
spite  of  his  utmost  exertions  to  restrain  her,  she 
looked  at  one  time  as  if  she  would  win  the  first 
heat  in  spite  of  the  pull  on  her.  In  the  next  two 
heats  she  simply  killed  off  her  competitors  by  the 
terrible  pace  she  set,  and  she  won  both  of  them 
quite  easily. 

The  race  on  Long  Island  is  memorable  for  the 
magnificent  courage  shown  by  Black  Maria  in 
the  winning  of  it.  The  race  at  the  first  meeting 
of  the  Mar),dand  Jockey  Club  was  memorable 
because  the  elite  of  the  then  United  States  had 
gathered  there  to  watch  the  contest  and  to  give 
applause  to  the  giant  black  mare  who  represented 
the  North. 

Not  enough  glory  had  Mr.  Stevens  gained  when 
his  great  animal  won  this  inaugural  race  at  Balti- 
more. He  did  not  wait  longer  than  three  days  to 
bring  her  out  again  at  four-mile  heats  against 
'trifle,  Collier,  and  May-day.  Black  Maria  was 
stiff  and  sore  from  her  race  of  only  a  few  hours 
previous,  but  in  spite  of  that,  such  was  her  repu- 
tation, she  was  made  the  favorite  over  the  field. 
The  best  she  could  do  was  to  again  display  that 


IVbat  a  Thowtighhred  Mare  may  do     183 

wonderful  courage  which  never  yielded  to  any- 
thing. She  was  second  in  both  heats  to  that 
very  filly  Trifle  that  was  afterward  to  give  her 
such  a  task  in  the  five-heat  race  of  her  career.  But 
mark  this  thing  about  Black  Maria ;  that  in  the 
last  heat  of  this  Baltimore  race  she  was  running 
the  twentieth  mile  which  she  had  compassed 
within  four  days,  and  she  did  that  mile  over  the 
old-fashioned  slow  track,  that  was  itself  extra 
heavy  from  rains,  in  1.53! 

As  a  six-year-old  Black  Maria  won  a  race  of 
four-mile  heats  in  straight  heats,  another  at  three- 
mile  heats,  taking  the  last  two,  and  then  ran  her 
greatest  race  in  that  contest  which  required  twenty 
miles  of  running  to  decide. 

She  flashed  back  in  the  spring  at  seven  years 
old,  and  ran  a  race  of  three  heats  at  three  miles 
each,  and  in  the  third  heat  she  did  the  distance 
in  5.48,  a  time  which  had  not  been  equalled  by 
any  other  long-distance  animal.  That  was  also 
the  old  mare's  first  appearance  since  her  race  of 
twenty  miles  in  the  previous  October. 

She  continued  her  career  on  the  turf,  winning 
at  all  distances  from  two-mile  heats  to  four-mile 
heats,  up  to  the  time  when  she  was  nine  years 
old.      Her  last  race  was  run  in  1835,  at  four-mile 


184  The  American  Thoroughbred 

heats,  in  which  she  finished  second  to  Henry 
Archy,  starting  entirely  out  of  condition. 

This  remarkable  mare  started  in  all  twenty- 
five  times,  the  shortest  distance  being  two-mile 
heats.  She  won  thirteen  of  her  starts,  and 
earned  (save  the  mark!)  ^14,900.  The  majority 
of  the  events  took  place  on  the  Union  Course, 
Long  Island. 

If,  in  racing  her  in  the  manner  in  which  he 
did,  Stevens  in  a  measure  mistreated  her  mag- 
nificence. Black  Maria  went  into  more  gentle 
hands  when  the  day  came  for  her  retirement 
from  the  turf.  After  stopping  awhile  on  Long 
Island,  she  travelled  by  steamer  to  New  Orleans, 
and  there  became  the  property  of  the  Hon. 
Baillie  Peyton  of  Tennessee.  Living  out  her  life 
under  the  oaks  of  Tennessee,  Black  Maria  left 
a  story  for  the  Stud  Book  scarcely  less  brilliant 
than  that  which  she  gave  as  heritage  to  the  turf 
guides. 


CHAPTER    IX 

THOROUGHBREDS    OF    THE    WEST 

Having  started  the  Northern  turf  well  on  its 
way  with  the  establishment  of  the  Union  Course 
and  this  account  of  the  primal  national  racing 
events,  it  would  be  well  to  have  a  passing  look  at 
the  other  sections  of  the  country,  that  one  may 
understand  into  what  an  extensive  fabric  the 
ramifications  of  the  sport  had  been  woven. 

In  the  age  of  such  renowned  racers  as  Timo- 
leon,  Florizel,  Maid  of  the  Oaks  —  the  ancestors 
of  Eclipse,  Medoc,  Boston,  and  Lexington  —  the 
age  of  Oscar,  First  Consul,  Hickory,  Sir  Archy, 
Duroc,  and  Miller's  Damsel,  Washington  had 
her  race-course,  and  it  was  the  arena  of  many 
brilliant  exploits.  Gentlemen  of  education,  posi- 
tion, opulence,  were  the  patrons  of  the  turf,  and 
many  drove  out  in  coaches  and  four  to  witness 
the  games. 

The  Washington    City    Race-course   was   laid 

out  in   1802,  on  the  Holmead  Farm,  about  two 

miles   north   of   the    President's   house.     It  was 
18s 


1 86  The  American  Thoroughbred 

* 

managed  by  a  jockey  club  composed  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  the  capital,  Colonel  Tayloe  for 
a  number  of  years  being  the  president  of  the 
club.  Among  the  most  distinguished  members 
of  the  club  was  Hon.  Gabriel  Duvall,  Judge 
of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  by  the  ap- 
pointment of  President  Madison.  Judge  Duvall, 
after  his  retirement  from  office,  being  then  an 
old  man,  was  in  the  habit  of  riding  on  horseback 
from  his  residence,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles, 
to  the  National  Course,  witnessing  the  races, 
and  then  returning  home  in  the  saddle.  He 
must  have  been  vigorous  in  his  age  to  have 
found  pleasure  in  such  a  journey  as  this. 

The  National  Course  was  often  graced  by 
the  Presidents,  from  Jefferson  down  to  Van 
Buren.  General  Jackson  took  the  liveliest 
interest  in  the  races.  He  once  started  one  of 
his  colts  on  this  course,  entered  in  the  name  of 
his  private  secretary,  Major  Donelson,  but  was 
much  chagrined  to  suffer  defeat  by  Commodore 
Stockton's  imported  Langford.  John  Quincy 
Adams  was  also  fond  of  the  sports  of  the  turf. 
One  time  he  walked  out  to  the  course  from  the 
presidential  mansion,  saw  the  race  decided,  and 
then  walked  back  again. 


Thoroughbreds  of  the  West  187 

This  was  in  the  most  glorious  era  of  the  turf, 
when  the  wealth  and  fashion  of  the  city  rolled  to 
and  from  the  races  in  equipages  that  reminded 
the  traveller  of  the  royal  displays  of  Europe. 
Possibly  Mr.  Adams,  occupying  the  highest 
office  within  the  gift  of  the  nation,  sought  to  set 
an  example  of  republican  simplicity  by  trudging 
along  quietly  on  foot  when  others  dashed  by  in 
their  carriages,  each  aiming  to  outshine  his  or 
her  neighbor  with  costly  and  gorgeous  trappings. 

The  second  epoch  of  the  National  Course  at 
Washington  was  from  the  year  1822  up  to  about 
1844.  During  this  period  the  course  resounded 
with  the  footfalls  of  such  horses  as  Eclipse,  Sir 
Charles,  Boston,  Blue  Dick,  Fashion,  and  Reve- 
nue. As  at  Charleston,  so  at  Washington,  there 
were  jockey  club  dinners  and  jockey  club  balls, 
attended  by  the  beauty  and  fashion  of  the  land. 

The  last  president  of  the  club  was  Governor 
Samuel  Sprigg  of  Maryland.  In  1844  the  pros- 
perity of  the  turf  at  Washington  began  to  decline ; 
and  in  1846,  after  a  few  sickly,  spasmodic  efforts 
to  inaugurate  a  fresh  era,  racing  was  abandoned 
on  the  National  Course. 

The  oldest  race-course  in  the  West  is  that 
located  at  Lexington,   Kentucky.      The  associa- 


1 88  The  American  Thoroitghbred 

tion  was  chartered  in  1828,  but  racing  was  carried 
on  there  long  anterior  to  this.  The  great  strip  of 
country  in  Kentucky,  where  the  rich  blue-grass 
grows  so  luxuriantly,  for  many  years  has  been 
known  as  the  "  race-horse  region  of  America." 
Racing  is  one  of  the  pastimes  of  the  people, 
and  the  love  of  racing  led  to  the  breeding  of 
the  thoroughbred.  The  colts  mature  rapidly  in 
the  genial  climate  and  on  the  nutritious  grass, 
and  for  nearly  a  century  they  have  asserted  their 
claim  to  preeminence.  Kentucky  stock  is  justly 
famous,  and  breeding  there  is  conducted  with 
less  expense  than  in  many  other  sections,  for  the 
reason  that  the  colts  thrive  so  well  in  grazing 
over  the  rich  pasture-lands. 

The  Lexington  Association  was  singularly 
prosperous.  Since  1828,  up  to  half-a-dozen  years 
ago,  it  had  held  two,  and  sometimes  three,  meet- 
ings every  year,  excepting  in  1862,  when  only  a 
spring  meeting  was  held,  Kirby  Smith's  army 
being  camped  on  the  course  in  the  fall.  This 
is  something  that  can  be  said  of  no  other  asso- 
ciation in  America,  and  speaks  to  us  of  the 
intensity  of  the  racing  spirit  in  that  section  of 
Kentucky ;  for  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
Lexington,  like   many  other  cities  south   of  the 


Tboroiighhreds  of  the  West  189 

old  Mason  and  Dixon  line,  suffered  much  by  the 
Civil  War.  Its  streets  sometimes  were  patrolled 
by  Grays,  and  at  other  times  guarded  by  the 
Blues.  Still  the  association  maintained  its  or- 
ganization ;  and  racing  was  kept  up,  no  matter 
what  flag  floated  from  the  staff.  Many  of  the 
most  celebrated  horses  that  have  graced  the 
American  turf  made  their  debut  on  the  Lexing- 
ton Course ;  and  the  brilliant  leading  men  of  the 
state,  such  as  Clay  and  Crittenden  and  Marshall, 
have  watched  the  trials  of  speed  from  the  grand- 
stand and  mingled  with  their  fellow-citizens  on 
the  quarter-stretch. 

For  a  number  of  years  Kentucky  and  Tennes- 
see kept  up  a  generous  rivalry,  a  horse  owned 
or  bred  in  one  state  being  selected  to  run  against 
one  owned  or  bred  in  the  other. 

But  the  most  memorable  races  ever  witnessed 
in  the  commonwealth  were  those  between  Wag- 
ner and  Gray  Eagle,  decided  at  Louisville  in  the 
autumn  of  1839.  Wagner,  a  son  of  Sir  Charles, 
was  a  handsome  chestnut,  with  a  blaze  in  his 
face,  standing  15^  hands.  As  a  four-year-old,  in 
the  summer  of  1838,  he  had  defeated  many  com- 
petitors and  won  proud  distinction.  Gray  Eagle, 
perhaps,  was  one  of  the  finest-looking  horses  that 


igo  The  American  Thoroughbred 

ever  charmed  the  eye.  He  was  i6  hands  high,  a 
beautiful  gray,  with  flowing  silver  mane  and  tail. 
He  was  sired  by  Woodpecker  and  he  by  Bertrand. 
He  was  a  game  and  fleet  horse  and  the  idol  of 
Kentuckians. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1839,  a  stake  for  all 
ages,  four-mile  heats,  closed  with  ten  subscribers 
at  ^2000  each,  half  forfeit ;  and  among  the  entries 
were  the  Louisiana  horse  Wagner,  five  years  old, 
and  the  Kentucky  horse  Gray  Eagle,  four  years 
old.  The  race  came  off  Monday,  September 
30,  four  only  of  the  nominations  starting. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  the  chances 
of  Wagner  and  Gray  Eagle  in  this  stake  had 
been  widely  canvassed,  and  the  feeling  between 
the  partisans  of  each  horse  was  most  intense. 
For  months,  all  over  the  South,  the  coming 
struggle  was  the  topic  of  earnest  discussion. 
And  on  the  day  of  the  race  a  more  brilliant 
assembly  was  never  seen  on  any  course  than  was 
gathered  at  Louisville.  The  crowd  was  immense, 
and  the  excitement  at  fever  point. 

In  that  nodding  sea  of  human  forms  were  the 
blue-eyed  belles  from  the  North  and  the  brown- 
eyed  queens  of  beauty  from  the  South  ;  were 
men  distinguished  at  the  bar,  on  the  bench,  the 


Tborougbbreds  of  the  West  191 

press,  in  the  Senate,  and  in  the  army  and  navy. 
Senators  Clay  and  Crittenden  and  Porter  were 
there,  and  so  were  Governor  Poindexter,  Gen- 
eral Atkinson,  Judges  Rowan  and  Woolley,  and 
Letcher  and  Menifee,  and  Slidell  and  Kenner. 

The  day  was  delightful,  and  the  occasion  one 
long  to  be  remembered.  As  an  indication  of 
the  strength  of  the  rivalry,  it  is  stated  that  not 
a  Kentuckian  on  the  ground  laid  out  a  dollar  on 
Wagner.  Gray  Eagle  was  the  champion  of  the 
state,  and  they  would  not  bet  against  him,  even 
after  he  had  lost  the  first  heat. 


CHAPTER   X 

WAGNER    rs.    GRAY    EAGLE 

These  two  races  between  Wagner  and  Gray 
Eagle  are  regarded  as  among  the  most  splendid 
events  ever  run  in  the  South,  and  full  description 
of  them  from  the  pen  of  the  brilliant  William  T. 
Porter  is  given  here.  The  account  of  these 
races,  and  particularly  of  the  second  one,  is 
generally  accepted  as  the  most  perfect  specimen 
of  race  reporting  done  in  this  or  in  foreign 
lands.  Mr.  Porter's  description  reads  almost  like 
romance,  but  those  who  saw  the  contests  with  a 
critical  eye  agreed  that  the  account  was  correct 
to  the  smallest  incident.  There  is  joy  in  read- 
ing it. 

"  The  occasion  of  this  brilliant  assemblage 
was  the  stake  for  all  ages,  four-mile  heats,  which 
closed  on  the  ist  of  January,  1839,  with  ten  sub- 
scribers, at  $2000  each,  half  forfeit.  There  were 
ten  nominations  to  this  stake,  but  only  four 
came    to    the    post    on    Monday,    the    30th    of 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  193 

September.      They  were    Wagner,    Gray   Eagle, 
Queen  Mary,  and  Hawk-Eye. 

"  The  '  call '  for  the  horses  was  sounded  at  a 
quarter  to  one  o'clock,  and  soon  after  all  eyes 
were  directed  toward  a  motley  group  approach- 
ing from  Mr.  Garrison's  stable :  '  with  stately 
step,  and  slow,'  Wagner,  the  proud  champion  of 
Louisiana,  made  his  appearance.  He  was  directly 
stripped,  and  a  finer  exhibition  of  the  perfection 
to  which  the  trainer's  art  can  be  carried  we  have 
rarely  seen.  His  coat  and  eye  were  alike  brill- 
iant. Wagner  is  a  light  gold  chestnut,  with  a 
roan  stripe  on  the  right  side  of  his  face,  and 
white  hind  feet  —  about  fifteen  hands  and  a  half 
high.  His  head  is  singularly  small,  clean,  and 
bony,  set  on  a  light  but  rather  long  neck ;  fore- 
handed, he  resembles  the  pictures  of  his  sire.  Sir 
Charles,  and  in  his  carriage  is  said  to  resemble  him. 
His  shoulder  is  immensely  strong,  running  very 
well  back  into  a  good  middle  piece,  which  is  well 
ribbed  home.  One  of  the  finest  points  about 
him  is  his  great  depth  of  chest;  few  horses  can 
measure  with  him  from  the  point  of  the  shoulder 
to  the  brisket.  His  arms  are  heavily  muscled 
like  Mingo's,  with  the  tendons  standing  out  in 
bold    relief.     He    has    uncommonly   strong    and 


194  The  American  Thoroughbred 

wide  hips,  a  good  loin,  remarkably  fine  stifles 
and  thighs,  with  as  fine  hocks  and  legs  as  ever 
stood  under  a  horse.  Wagner  has  been  in 
training  ever  since  his  three-year  old  form  and 
has  travelled  over  three  thousand  miles,  without 
three  weeks'  rest,  this  season  Mr.  Garrison 
commencing  galloping  him,  just  four  weeks 
previous  to  this  race ;  he  had  not  even  been 
turned  loose  in  a  paddock. 

"A  murmur,  which  was  soon  lost  in  a  sup- 
pressed cheer  at  the  head  of  the  quarter-stretch, 
announced  to  the  multitude  about  the  stand  the 
approach  of  Gray  Eagle ;  as  he  came  up  in  front 
of  the  stand,  his  lofty  carriage  and  flashing  eye 
elicited  a  burst  of  applause,  which  told  better 
than  words  can  express  the  intense  and  ardent 
aspirations  felt  in  his  success,  by  every  son  and 
daughter  of  Kentucky.  Clinton,  his  trainer, 
immediately  stripped  off  his  sheet  and  hood, 
and  a  finer  specimen  of  the  high-mettled  racer 
was  never  exhibited.  He  was  in  condition  to 
run  for  a  man's  life  —  a  magnificent  gray,  nearly 
sixteen  hands  high,  with  the  step  of  a  gazelle 
and  the  strength  of  a  Bucephalus.  Mr.  Bur- 
bridge  had  told  us  that  of  one  thing  he  was 
confident  —  his    horse    might  want   foot,   but    of 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  195 

his  game  he  was  certain;  the  correctness  of  his 
judgment  the  sequel  will  show.  In  the  hands 
of  Clinton,  who,  by-the-by,  is  a  Kentuckian,  not 
above  seven-and-twenty  years  of  age,  Gray  Eagle 
had  never  lost  a  heat;  the  previous  October  he 
won  a  two-mile  sweepstakes,  over  this  course, 
in  3.4 1 -3.43 J;  and  a  week  afterwards  repeated 
the  race  in  3.48-3.44.  His  form  indicates  more 
power  of  endurance  than  any  horse  we  ever  saw 
in  Kentucky;  from  the  girth  forward  his  shape 
and  make  could  hardly  be  improved,  if  he  merely 
had  the  delicate,  finely  tapered  ears  of  a  Sir 
Charles,  or  a  Wild  Bill.  Standing  behind  him, 
his  quarters  display  a  fine  development  of  muscle, 
but  many  would  call  them  light  in  proportion  to 
his  size  and  forehand ;  in  this  respect  he  closely 
resembles  Priam.  His  coupling,  thigh,  and  stifle 
are  unexceptionally  good,  and  his  hocks  come 
well  down  to  the  ground,  giving  him  great 
length  from  their  point  to  that  of  the  whirlbone. 
His  legs  are  clean,  broad,  and  flat,  with  the  ham- 
strings and  leaders  beautifully  developed  —  no 
son  of  Whip  ever  had  a  finer  set  of  limbs  under 
him. 

"At  half-past  one  o'clock,  the  jockeys  having 
received  their  orders  from  the  judges,  the  order 


196  The  American  Thoroughbred 

was  given  to  '  clear  the  course.'  Cato,  called 
Cate,  in  a  richly  embroidered  scarlet  dress,  was 
put  upon  Wagner;  he  is  a  capital  jockey,  and 
rode  nearly  up  to  his  weight,  no  pounds.  The 
rider  engaged  for  Gray  Eagle  lost  the  confi- 
dence of  his  owners  just  before  the  race,  and  at 
the  eleventh  hour  they  were  obliged  to  hunt  up 
another.  Stephen  Welch  was  selected,  though 
obliged  to  carry  13  pounds  deadweight  in  shot- 
pouches  on  his  saddle !  The  friends  of  Gray 
Eagle,  however,  had  entire  confidence  in  his 
honesty;  and  it  is  clear  that  he  did  his  best, 
though,  weighing  as  he  did  but  82  pounds,  he 
had  neither  the  strength  nor  stamina  to  hold  and 
control  a  powerful,  fiery  horse  like  Gray  Eagle. 
He  rode  superbly  for  a  lad  of  his  years,  while 
Cato's  exhibition  of  skill  and  judgment  would 
have  done  credit  to  Gil  Patrick.  The  horses  took 
their  places  in  accordance  with  the  precedence 
of  their  nomination  for  the  stake,  Gray  Eagle 
having  the  inside  track.  Queen  Mary,  second, 
Hawk-Eye,  third,  and  Wagner,  the  outside. 
Just  at  this  moment,  Mr.  Ward,  the  president 
of  the  club,  dislodged  the  band  from  their  seats 
over  the  judges'  stand,  and  Mr.  Clay,  Judge 
Porter,  Judge  Rowan,  our  friend  Colonel  Whet- 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  i()'j 

stone,  of  the  Devil's  Fork  of  the  Little  Red, 
and  the  writer  of  this  article,  with  two  or  three 
other  gentlemen,  were  invited  to  occupy  them, 
by  which  we  all  obtained  a  fine  view,  not  only 
of  the  race,  but  —  of  the  ladies  in  the  stands 
opposite. 

"  The  Race 

"  All  being  in  motion  and  nearly  in  line,  the 
president  gave  the  word  '  Go ! '  and  tapped  the 
drum.  Gray  Eagle  was  the  last  off,  while 
Wagner  went  away  like  a  quarter-horse,  with 
Queen  Mary  well  up  second ;  they  were  taken 
in  hand  at  once,  which  allowed  Hawk-Eye  to 
take  the  place  of  the  Queen  on  the  back  stretch, 
and  at  the  three-quarter  mile  post,  Wagner 
allowed  him  to  take  the  track.  Hawk-Eye  led 
home  to  the  stand  at  a  moderate  pace,  Wagner 
second,  and  Queen  Mary  third;  both  of  them 
were  pulling  to  Gray  Eagle,  at  whose  head 
Stephen  was  tugging  with  might  and  main. 
Hawk-Eye  carried  on  the  running  for  about 
half  a  mile  farther,  until  Gooding  bid  Cato  'go 
along.'  The  pace  mended  at  once;  Wagner 
went  up  to  Hawk-Eye,  and  might  have  cut  him 
down  in  half  a  dozen  strides,  but  the  Queen  was 


198  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

still  laying  back,  and  Gray  Eagle  had  not  yet 
made  a  stroke.  Wagner  came  first  to  the  stand, 
and  at  the  turn  Cato  having  held  up  his  whip 
as  a  signal  to  a  crowd  of  rubbers  and  boys  on 
Garrison's  stable,  that  'the  old  Sorrel  Stud'  was 
going  just  right,  they  gave  him  a  slight  cheer, 
at  which  Wagner  broke  loose,  and  made  a  spread 
eagle  of  the  field  in  '  no  time.'  The  other  jock- 
eys were  not  a  little  startled  at  this  demonstra- 
tion of  Wagner's  speed,  and  each  called  upon 
his  nag,  so  that  opposite  the  Oakland  House, 
near  the  three-quarter  mile  post,  the  field  closed. 
Stephen  here  let  out  the  phenomenon  he  so 
gracefully  bestrode,  and  like  twin  bullets  the 
gallant  gray  and  Wagner  came  out  of  the  melee. 
At  the  head  of  the  quarter-stretch,  Stephen  was 
told  to  '  pull  him  steady,'  so  that  before  Wagner 
reached  the  stand.  Queen  Mary  had  changed 
places  with  Gray  Eagle,  notwithstanding  her 
saddle  had  slipped  on  her  withers.  Hawk-Eye 
was  already  in  difficulty,  and  for  him  the  pace 
was  getting  '  no  better  very  fast'  Gray  Eagle 
set  to  work  in  earnest  on  entering  the  back- 
stretch,  first  outfooting  the  Queen  and  then 
challenging  Wagner.  From  the  Oakland  House 
to  the  head  of   the    quarter-stretch,  the    ground 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  199 

is  descending,  and  from  thence  up  the  straight 
run  to  the  stand,  a  distance  of  perhaps  six  hun- 
dred yards,  it  is  ascending.  At  the  half-mile 
post,  Cato  called  upon  Wagner,  and  the  critical 
moment  having  arrived,  Stephen  collared  him 
with  the  gray,  on  the  outside.  For  three  hun- 
dred yards  the  pace  was  tremendous ;  Gray  Eagle 
once  got  his  head  and  neck  in  front,  and  a  tre- 
mendous shout  was  sent  up;  but  Wagner  threw 
him  off  so  far  in  going  round  the  last  turn,  that, 
halfway  up  the  stretch,  Mr.  Burbridge  ordered 
him  to  be  pulled  up,  and  Wagner  won  cleverly, 
Queen  Mary  dropping  just  within  her  distance, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  yards.  Hawk-Eye  was 
nowhere.     Time,  7.48. 

"  The  disappointment  and  mortification  was  so 
great,  that  for  the  first  twenty  minutes  after  the 
heat,  Queen  Mary  was  freely  backed  against  Gray 
Eagle,  while  so  far  as  Wagner  was  concerned,  it 
was  considered  'a  dead  open  and  shut.'  Before 
the  forty-five  minutes  had  elapsed,  however,  a 
reaction  took  place  in  favor  of  Gray  Eagle.  Not 
a  Ke7ituckian  on  the  ground  laid  out  a  dollar  on 
Wagner!  From  the  first,  the  very  few  individ- 
uals who  were  disposed  to  back  him  on  account 
of  his  blood,  his  form,  his  performances  and  his 


200  The  American  Thoroughbred 

condition,  had  not  staked  a  dollar ;  their  judgment 
prompted  them  to  back  the  Southern  champion, 
but  they  would  not  bet  against  Kentucky  !  Talk 
of  state  pride  in  South  Carolina !  Why,  the 
Kentuckians  have  more  of  it  than  the  citizens  of 
all  the  states  in  the  Confederacy  added  together. 
They  not  only  believe  Kentucky  to  be  the  Eden 
of  the  world,  and  the  garden  of  the  Union,  but 
their  own  favorite  county  to  be  the  asparagus- 
bed  of  the  state  !  And  they  have  good  reason ; 
Kentucky  is  a  glorious  state.  The  talent  and 
chivalry  of  her  sons  are  in  keeping  with  the 
intelligence  and  peerless  beauty  of  her  daughters, 
and  well  may  they  be  proud  of  her  and  of  each 
other.     But  to  the  horses. 

"  All  cooled  off  well,  but  more  especially  Gray 
Eagle,  who  appeared  not  to  mind  the  run  a  jot. 
They  got,  as  Clinton  remarked,  '  a  capital  scrape 
out  of  him,'  and  he  was  'as  fine  as  silk'  —  in 
good  order  for  a  bruising  heat.  He  extended 
himself  with  a  degree  of  ease  in  the  second  heat, 
and  changed  his  action  in  a  manner  that  con- 
vinced us  that  the  sweat  had  relieved  him. 
Wagner,  who  resembles  Boston  in  many  other 
respects,  showed  all  that  placidity  and  calmness 
of  look  and  motion  which  characterizes  '  the  old 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  201 

White-nose.'  Great  odds  were  offered  on  him  for 
the  race,  but  small  amounts  only  were  staked. 
Gray  Eagle's  noble  bearing  and  game-cock  look, 
as  he  came  up  to  contest  in  a  second  heat  for  the 
meed  of  honor  and  applause,  was  the  theme  of 
universal  admiration ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  a 
cargo  of  laces,  gloves,  bijouterie,  etc.,  must  have 
been  required  to  pay  the  wagers  made  in  the 
Ladies'  Pavilion. 

"  Second  heat.  The  tap  of  the  drum  sent 
them  away  with  a  beautiful  start,  Wagner  leading 
off  with  a  steady,  businesslike  stride,  while  Gray 
Eagle,  as  full  of  game  as  of  beauty,  waited  upon 
him  close  up.  It  was  instantly  evident  that  Mr. 
Burbridge  had  changed  his  tactics;  the  moment 
Stephen  got  Gray  Eagle  into  straight  work  on 
the  back  side,  he  made  play  for  the  track,  and 
after  a  terrific  burst  of  speed  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards,  he  came  in  front ;  keeping  up  his 
stroke,  he  soon  after  made  a  gap  of  four  lengths, 
and  though  Wagner  drew  upon  him  a  little  in 
coming  up  the  rising  ground  towards  the  stand, 
yet  he  passed  it  far  enough  in  advance  to  warrant 
the  warm  and  hearty  plaudits  of  his  friends.  As 
if  inspirited  by  the  cheers  of  the  crowd,  and  the 
tokens  of  unalloyed  gratification  exhibited  by  the 


202  The  American  Thoroughbred 

galaxy  of  radiant  beauty  in  the  stands,  Gray  Eagle 
kept  up  his  murderous  rate  throughout  the  entire 
second  mile ;  Wagner  lay  up  close,  and  there  was 
no  faltering,  no  flinching,  no  giving  back,  on  the 
part  of  either.  The  stride  was  over  twenty-two 
feet,  perfectly  steady,  strong,  and  regular,  with  no 
dwelling,  no  floundering,  no  laboring.  Gray  Eagle 
made  the  running  to  beyond  the  half-mile  post  on 
the  third  mile,  and  the  pace  seemed  too  good  to 
last,  but  there  were  '  links  '  yet  to  be  '  let  out.' 
From  this  point  the  two  cracks  made  a  match  of 
it,  in  which  Queen  Mary  had  as  little  apparent 
concern  as  if  out  of  the  race.  Near  the  Oakland 
House  Wagner  set  to  work  to  do  or  die.  '  Rowel 
him  up ! '  shouted  his  owner  to  Cato ;  while  Gar- 
rison, at  the  head  of  the  quarter-stretch,  was  wav- 
ing his  hat  to  him  to  come  on !  The  rally  that 
ensued  down  the  descent  to  the  turn,  was  desper- 
ate, but  Wagner  could  not  gain  an  inch ;  as  they 
swung  round  into  the  quarter-stretch  they  were 
lapped ;  '  spur  your  proud  coursers  hard  and  ride 
in  blood ! '  were  the  orders  on  this,  as  they  are 
described  to  have  been  on  Bosworth  '  field.'  Both 
horses  got  a  taste  of  steel  and  catgut  as  they 
came  up  the  ascent,  and  on  casting  our  eye  along 
the   cord  extending  across  the  course  from  the 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  203 

judges'  to  the  club  stands,  Gray  Eagle  was  the 
first  under  it  by  a  head  and  shoulders ;  at 
the  turn  Stephen  manoeuvred  so  as  to  press 
Wagner  on  the  outside,  and  soon  after  drew  out 
clear  in  front,  looking  so  much  Hke  a  winner 
that  the  crowd,  unable  to  repress  an  irresistible 
impulse,  sent  up  a  cheer  that  made  the  welkin 
ring  for  miles  around.  The  group  on  Wagner's 
stable  again  bid  him  '  go  on ! '  but  Cato,  '  calm 
as  a  summer's  morning,'  was  quietly  biding  his 
time;  he  seemed  to  feel  that  Patience  has  won 
more  dollars  than  Haste  has  coppers,  and  that 
there  was  but  a  solitary  chance  of  winning  the 
race  out  of  the  fire.  Fully  aware  of  the  indomi- 
table game  of  the  nonpareil  under  him,  he  thought 
if  he  could  bottle  him  up  for  a  few  hundred  yards 
there  was  still  another  run  to  be  got  out  of  him. 
He  accordingly  took  a  bracing  pull  on  his  horse, 
and  though  it  was  '  go  along '  every  inch,  Wag- 
ner recovered  his  wind  so  as  to  come  again  at  the 
head  of  the  quarter-stretch.  Stephen,  long  ere 
this,  had  become  so  exhausted  as  to  be  unable  to 
give  Gray  Eagle  the  support  he  required  ;  he  rode 
wide,  swerving  considerably  from  a  straight  line, 
and  was  frequently  all  abroad  in  his  seat.  From 
the  Oakland  House  home  it  was  a  terrible  race ! 


204  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

By  the  most  extraordinary  exertions  Wagner  got 
up  neck  and  neck  with  '  the  gallant  gray '  as  they 
swung  round  the  turn  into  the  quarter-stretch. 
The  feelings  of  the  assembled  thousands  were 
wrought  up  to  a  pitch  absolutely  painful  — 
silence  the  most  profound  reigned  over  that  vast 
assembly,  as  these  noble  animals  sped  on  as  if 
life  and  death  called  forth  their  utmost  energies. 
Both  jockeys  had  their  whip-hands  at  work,  and 
at  every  stroke,  each  spur,  with  a  desperate  stab, 
was  buried  to  the  rowel  head.  Gray  Eagle,  for 
the  first  hundred  yards,  was  clearly  gaining;  but 
in  another  instant  Wagner  was  even  with  him. 
Both  were  out  and  doing  their  best.  It  was  any- 
body's race  yet !  Now  Wagner  —  now  Gray 
Eagle  has  the  advantage.  It  will  be  a  dead 
heat !  '  See  !  Gray  Eagle's  got  him  ! '  —  'No  — 
Wagner's  ahead!'  A  moment  ensues  —  the 
people  shout  —  hearts  throb  —  ladies  faint  —  a 
thrill  of  emotion,  and  the  race  is  over !  Wagner 
wins  by  a  neck,  in  7.44,  the  best  race  ever  run 
south  of  the  Potomac ;  while  Kentucky's  gallant 
champion  demonstrates  his  claim  to  that  proud 
title  by  a  performance  which  throws  into  the 
shade  the  most  brilliant  ever  made  in  his  native 
state.     Summary :  — 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  205 

"  Monday,  September  30,  1839.  Sweepstakes  for 
all  ages,  three-year-olds  carrying  86  pounds — 4, 
100 — 5,  1 10 — 6,  118  —  7  and  upwards  124  pounds; 
mares  and  geldings  allowed  3  pounds.  Ten  sub- 
scribers at  $2000  each,  h.  ft.,  to  which  the  Propri- 
etor added  the  Receipts  of  the  stands.  Four-mile 
heats. 

"James  S.  Garrison's — John  Campbell's  —  ch.h.  Wagner, 
by  Sir  Charles,  out  of  Maria  West,  by  Marion,  5  yrs., 
Cato I     I 

Oliver  &  Dickey's —  A.  L.  Shotwell's  —  gr.  c.  Gray  Eagle, 
by  Woodpecker,  out  of  Ophelia,  by  Wild  Medley, 
4  yrs.,  Stephen  Welch 22 

Captain  Willa  Viley's  ch.  f  Queen  Mary,  by  Bertrand, 

dam  by  Brimmer,  4  yrs 33 

Bradley  &  Steel's  ch.  c.  Hawk-Eye,  by  Sir  Lovell,  out 

of  Pressure's  dam,  by  Jenkins'  Sir  William,  4  yrs.  .     dist. 
Time,  7.48 ;  7.44. 

"  To  say  that  Wagner  was  better  managed  and 
better  jockeyed  in  this  race  than  Gray  Eagle,  is 
to  express  the  opinion  of  every  unprejudiced  indi- 
vidual who  had  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  it. 
What  might  have  been  the  result  of  the  race,  we 
cannot  pretend  to  say,  but  we  assert  with  perfect 
confidence  our  belief,  that  with  Gil.  Patrick  on 
his  back.  Gray  Eagle  would  have  won  the  second 
heat.     People  differ  in  opinion,  luckily,  and  were  it 


2o6  The  American  Tboroughhred 

not  so  we  should  be  in  a  mess.  Had  the  managers 
of  Gray  Eagle  been  content  to  bide  their  time, 
another  tale  mis^ht  have  been  told.  '  Wait  and 
win  '  carries  off  more  purses  than  '  Take  the  track 
and  keep  it'  Gray  Eagle  could  outfoot  Wagner 
in  a  brush  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  —  he 
clearly  demonstrated  that  fact  half  a  dozen  times 
in  the  course  of  a  week ;  but  in  a  run  of  five  or 
six  hundred  yards,  Wagner  could  beat  him  about 
the  same  distance.  The  two  horses  were  so 
nearly  matched  that  good  generalship  and  good 
riding  did  the  business.  Instead  of  allowing  him 
to  go  forward  and  cut  out  the  work,  Gray  Eagle 
should  have  been  laid  quietly  behind,  with  a 
steady,  bracing  pull,  until  within  the  distance  stand, 
and  then  pulled  out,  and  made  to  win  if  he  could. 
That  was  his  only  chance ;  tiring  down  Wagner 
is  like  tiring  down  a  locomotive. 

"  We  must  here  break  off,  but  not  without 
remarking  that  after  being  weighed,  Cato  was  put 
up  again  on  Wagner,  and  with  the  stakes  in  his 
hand  —  $14,000!  —  he  promenaded  in  front  of  the 
stand,  preceded  by  a  band  of  music  playing 
'  Old  Virginny  never  tire.'  " 

Thus  ended  the  first  meeting  between  Wagner, 
representing    the    aristocratic    Louisianians,    and 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  207 

Gray  Eagle,  as  the  champion  of  the  haughty 
Kentuckians.  That  race  took  place  upon  Mon- 
day. On  Saturday  there  was  a  Jockey  Club 
Purse  of  ^1500,  at  four-mile  heats,  to  which  both 
horses  were  eligible.  And  when  it  was  announced 
that  the  two  would  meet  again,  the  excitement 
was  even  more  intense  than  on  the  first  occasion. 
In  anticipation  of  a  race  which,  for  severity 
and  interest,  would  throw  their  first  in  the  shade, 
both  parties  were  wide  awake  to  secure  every 
honorable  advantage  within  their  reach.  Wagner's 
rider,  Cato,  had  become  a  freeman  about  the  time 
of  the  first  race ;  if  he  rode  the  second  as  well  as 
he  did  the  first,  many  were  the  odd  twenties  and 
fifties  he  was  promised.  Stephen  Welch,  Gray 
Eagle's  jockey  in  his  first  race,  weighing  but 
82  pounds,  the  managers  of  the  horse  endeav- 
ored to  find  a  rider  nearer  up  to  his  proper 
weight,  100  pounds.  The  only  one  on  the 
ground  preferable  to  their  own  was  Mr.  McCargo's 
Archer,  a  very  capital  rider,  with  a  good  seat,  a 
steady  hand,  and  a  cool  head.  Mr.  McCargo,  hav- 
ing no  interest  whatever  in  the  race,  at  once  placed 
Archer's  services  at  the  disposal  of  Gray  Eagle's 
friends ;  but  as  his  doing  so  might  possibly  place 
him  in  a  position  of  great  delicacy  and  embarrass- 


2o8  The  American  Thoroughbred 

ment,  at  his  own  request  they  relieved  him  from 
it,  and  concluded  to  put  up  Stephen  Welch  again, 
whose  only  fault  was  that  there  was  not  enough 
of  him ! 

"  The  jockeys  having  received  their  instructions 
from  the  judges,  '  mounted  in  hot  haste,'  Cato  on 
Wagner,  and  Stephen  Welch  on  Gray  Eagle. 
The  third  entry  was  Messrs.  Viley  &  Ward's 
Emily  Johnson  —  own  sister  to  Singleton,  and 
half  sister  to  Mistletoe  —  a  four-year-old  bay  filly 
by  Bertrand,  out  of  Black-eyed  Susan.  She  was 
not  in  prime  fit,  and  could  not,  therefore,  live  in 
such  a  crowd. 

"  The  Race 

"  At  the  word  '  Go ! '  Wagner  went  off  with  the 
lead  at  about  three  parts  speed,  Emily  laying 
second,  and  all  three  under  a  strong  pull.  Gray 
Eagle's  long,  steady  stride,  after  getting  into 
straight  work  going  down  the  back-stretch,  soon 
brought  him  up  with  the  field,  and  opposite  the  Oak- 
land House —  about  three  hundred  yards  beyond 
the  half-mile  post  —  the  three  were  lapped.  The 
pace  now  improved ;  Gray  Eagle  drew  out  at  the 
last  turn,  but  Wagner  having  the  inside,  and 
beginning  to  get  warm,  made  sharp  running  up 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  209 

the  stretch  to  the  stand,  and  on  the  next  turn 
came  out  clear  in  front.  Down  the  back-stretch 
they  each  kept  up  a  good  racing  stroke,  but  at  the 
Oakland  House  Gray  Eagle  increased  his  stride 
and  locked  Wagner;  as  neither  was  yet  called 
upon,  a  very  fair  view  was  had  of  their  relative  rate 
of  going;  Gray  Eagle  led  down  to  the  head  of 
the  stretch  and  up  to  the  stand  by  half  a  length, 
and  immediately  after  came  in  front.  He  carried 
on  the  running  two  lengths  in  advance  to  near 
the  termination  of  the  mile,  when  Wagner  got  a 
hint  to  extend  himself;  without  lapping  him,  Wag- 
ner waited  upon  him  close  up,and  opposite  the  Oak- 
land House  made  his  run  ;  the  rally  that  ensued  was 
a  very  brilliant  affair,  but  Gray  Eagle  outfooted 
him  in  one  hundred  yards,  and  drew  out  clear 
amidst  tremendous  cheers  from  all  parts  of  the 
course.  The  instant  Wagner  declined,  Emily 
took  his  place,  lapping  the  gray  as  they  swung 
round  the  turn.  But  Wagner  had  yet  another 
run  left,  and  they  had  no  sooner  got  into  the 
quarter-stretch  than  Cato  set  to  work  with  him. 
Gray  Eagle  had  been  able  to  pull  to  Emily,  and 
accordingly  when  Wagner,  by  an  extraordinary 
effort,  reached  him,  half-way  up  the  stretch,  he 
was  able  to  outfoot  him  a  second  time,  and  came 


2IO  The  American  TboroiiMred 


6" 


away  home  a  gallant  winner  by  nearly  a  length, 
Emily  having  the  second  place,  amidst  the  wav- 
ing of  hats  and  handkerchiefs,  and  tumultuous 
cheers,  that  would  well-nigh  have  drowned  the 
roar  of  Niagara !  The  first  mile  was  run  in  2.05, 
the  second  in  1.55,  the  third  in  1.56,  the  fourth  in 
1.55  ;  making  the  time  of  the  heat  7.51. 

"  The  heartfelt  gratification  and  rapture  ex- 
hibited at  the  close  of  the  heat  by  the  assem- 
bled thousands,  knew  no  bounds.  Kentucky's 
most  distinguished  sons,  and  her  loveliest  daugh- 
ters, felt  alike  interested,  and  Gray  Eagle's 
success  was  enjoyed  as  if  each  was  personally 
concerned.  The  odds,  from  being  two  and 
three  to  one  in  favor  of  Wagner,  now  changed, 
and  Gray  Eagle  had  the  call  at  four  to  three. 
Considerable  sums  were  staked,  as  Garrison 
declared  '  the  old  sorrel  stud '  had  sulked,  but 
would  show  his  hand  the  next  heat.  The  fact 
was.  Gray  Eagle  for  the  first  time  had  been  prop- 
erly managed ;  instead  of  running  the  whole  last 
half  mile,  he  had  taken  advantage  of  the  ground, 
and  made  his  first  run  down  the  descent  from  the 
Oakland  House  to  the  head  of  the  stretch,  and 
then  being  braced  up  for  three  hundred  yards, 
which   allowed    him    time    to    recover   his    wind. 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  211 

he  was  able  to  come  again  and  make  a  second 
rally,  as  brilliant  as  the  first.  As  we  before 
remarked,  we  think  Wagner  could  beat  Gray 
Eagle  by  a  desperate  rush  for  six  hundred  yards 
at  the  heel  of  a  very  fast  heat,  but  not  over  a 
head  and  shoulders  at  that ;  while  Gray  Eagle 
had  so  much  more  speed,  that  in  a  brush  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  he  could  let  in  the 
daylight  between  them.  With  so  light  and 
feeble  a  rider  as  Stephen  on  his  back,  it  was 
impossible  to  place  Gray  Eagle  exactly  as  his 
managers  would  have  liked,  though  he  is  a  fine- 
tempered  horse,  and  runs  kindly;  the  result  of 
the  race,  we  trust,  will  be  a  caution  to  them  here- 
after, how  they  venture  in  a  race  of  so  much 
importance  without  providing  the  most  indis- 
pensable of  requisites  to  success  —  a  suitable 
jockey. 

"  Both  horses  perspired  freely,  and  in  much 
less  time  than  could  have  been  expected  they 
cooled  out  finely;  neither  hung  out  a  signal  of 
distress,  but  came  up  for  the  second  heat  with 
distended  nostrils  and  eyes  of  fire,  betokening 
the  most  unflinching  courage. 

"  At  the  tap  of  the  drum  the  horses  were 
hardly  in  motion,  and    Cato   drew  his  whip   on 


The  American  ThowuMred 


Wagner  the  very  first  jump.  The  pace  was 
Httle  better  than  a  hand  gallop  for  the  first  half 
mile,  but  as  Wagner  led  past  the  entrance  gate, 
Gooding  bid  him  'go  along,'  and  he  increased 
his  rate.  Stephen,  seeing  this,  let  the  gray  out 
a  link,  and  in  going  down  the  descending  ground, 
below  the  Oakland  House,  went  up  on  the  inside 
so  suddenly,  that  he  had  locked  Wagner  before 
Cato  was  aware  of  his  close  proximity.  The  run 
up  the  quarter-stretch  was  a  pretty  fast  thing, 
though  neither  was  doing  his  best ;  the  time  of 
the  mile  was  2.08.  The  crowd  cheered  them  as 
they  ran  lapped  past  the  stand,  at  which  Gray 
Eagle  pricked  up  his  ears  and  set  to  work  in 
earnest,  shaking  off  Wagner  at  the  next  turn. 
The  race  had  now  commenced ;  Stephen  braced 
his  horse  as  well  as  he  was  able,  and  kept  him 
up  to  his  rate  down  the  entire  length  of  the 
back-stretch.  At  the  Oakland  House,  Cato 
again  called  on  Wagner,  and  steel  and  catgut 
came  into  play.  The  gallant  gray  led  clear  to 
the  turn,  and  half-way  up  the  stretch,  Stephen 
beginning  to  use  his  whip-hand,  and  to  give  the 
nonpareil  under  him  an  occasional  eye-opener 
with  the  spur.  This  mile  was  run  in  1.52.  They 
passed    the   stand   neck  and   neck,   Emily  being 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  213 

already  nearly  out  of  her  distance.  From  the 
stand  to  the  first  turn  the  ground  is  descending, 
and  here,  almost  invariably,  Gray  Eagle  gained 
upon  Wagner,  who  kept  up  one  steady  stride 
from  end  to  end,  without  flinching  or  faltering, 
and  able  always  to  do  a  little  more  when  per- 
suaded by  the  cold  steel  with  which  Cato  plied 
him  ever  and  anon  throughout  the  heat.  We 
said  they  passed  the  stand  on  the  second  mile 
neck  and  neck;  when  they  reached  the  turn. 
Gray  Eagle  had  got  in  front,  but  no  sooner  had 
they  come  into  straight  work  on  the  back  side, 
than  Wagner  made  a  most  determined  challenge 
and  locked  him;  the  contest  was  splendid,  and 
was  maintained  with  unflinching  game  and 
spirit ;  at  the  end  of  seven  hundred  yards,  how- 
ever. Gray  Eagle  had  the  best  of  it,  for  in  spite 
of  Cato's  most  desperate  efforts  Wagner  could 
only  reach  Stephen's  knee ;  Gray  Eagle  seemed 
able,  after  a  brush  of  one  hundred  yards,  to  come 
again  with  renewed  vigor,  if  well  braced,  for  a 
dozen  strides.  Down  the  descent  on  the  last 
half  mile,  Gray  Eagle  maintained  his  advantage, 
but  on  ascending  towards  the  stand,  Wagner's 
strength  told,  and  they  came  through  under  whip 
and  spur,  Wagner  having  his  head  and  neck  in 


214  Tbe  American  Tborotigbhred 

front,  running  this  mile  in  1.55.  Stephen  was 
here  instructed  to  take  a  strong  pull  on  his  horse 
and  to  'keep  him  moving,'  while  'ram  the  spurs 
into  him '  were  the  orders  to  Cato.  The  result 
was  that  Wagner  came  in  front,  and  the  pace 
down  the  entire  back  stretch  was  tremendous, 
both  being  kept  up  to  their  rate  by  the  most 
terrible  punishment.  Unfortunately,  Stephen  was 
directed  to  'take  the  track'  about  opposite  the 
Oakland  House,  instead  of  putting  the  issue  on 
a  brush  up  the  last  two  hundred  yards  of  the 
heat. 

"  Too  soon  the  gallant  gray  was  called  upon, 
but  true  as  steel  the  noble  animal  responded  to 
it.  With  the  most  dauntless  courage  he  made 
his  run  down  the  descending  ground,  and  though 
Wagner,  like  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  as  he  is, 
made  the  most  desperate  efforts.  Gray  Eagle 
came  round  the  last  turn  on  the  outside,  with  his 
head  and  shoulders  in  front,  at  a  flight  of  speed 
we  never  saw  equalled.  Both  jockeys  were 
nearly  faint  with  their  exertions,  and  Stephen, 
poor  fellow,  lost  his  presence  of  mind.  Up  to 
the  distance  stand  it  was  impossible  to  say  which 
was  ahead ;  whips  and  spurs  had  been  in  constant 
requisition  the  entire  mile,  but  at  this   moment 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  215 

Stephen  gave  up  his  pull,  and  unconsciously- 
yawed  his  horse  across  the  track,  which  broke 
him  off  his  stride,  while  Cato,  holding  Wagner 
well  together,  and  mercilessly  dashing  in  his 
spurs,  at  length  brought  him  through  a  gallant 
winner  by  a  neck,  having  run  the  last  mile  in 
1.48,  and  the  heat  in  7.43 ! 

"  This  was  without  exception  the  most  game 
and  spirited  race  we  ever  witnessed.  The  heat 
was  Wagner's,  and  while  we  accord  to  him  all 
the  reputation  so  brilliantly  won  after  a  bloody 
struggle  of  near  three  miles,  we  feel  bound  to  ex- 
press the  belief,  that  for  an  untried  four-year-old. 
Gray  Eagle's  performance  is  without  a  parallel  in 
the  annals  of  the  American  turf!  The  last  three 
miles  of  a  second  heat,  in  a  second  four-mile  race 
the  same  week,  were  run  in  5.35,  and  the  eighth 
mile  in  1.48! 

"  The  enthusiasm  of  the  spectators  was  now 
excited  to  the  highest  pitch.  There  was  not  on 
the  ground,  probably,  an  individual  who  would 
not  have  been  pleased  to  see  the  horses  with- 
drawn, and  the  purse  divided  between  them, 
rather  than  farther  task  the  indomitable  game 
and  courage  of  these  noble  animals ;  but  no  such 
proposition  was  made,  and  after  the  usual  respite 


2i6  The  American  Thoroughbred 

they  were  brought  to  the  post  a  third  time,  and  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  decide  which  had 
recovered  best.  So  much  feeling  was  manifested 
in  reference  to  the  horses,  that  the  baser  impulses 
to  bet  on  the  result  of  the  concluding  heat  were 
almost  entirely  disregarded ;  odds,  however,  were 
in  a  few  instances  offered  on  Wagner. 

"  In  detailing  the  contest  for  the  third  heat,  we 
are  compelled  to  record 

"  '  A  few  of  the  unpleasantest  words 
That  e'er  man  writ  on  paper ! ' 

"  At  the  word  '  Go  ! '  they  broke  off  with  a 
racing  stride,  Wagner  taking  the  lead  by  about 
two  lengths ;  the  pace  was  moderate,  for  Stephen 
on  Gray  Eagle  was  expressly  charged  to  pull  him 
steady,  and  wait  for  orders.  W^agner  accordingly 
led  with  an  easy  stroke  through  the  first  mile, 
and  being  cheered  as  he  passed  the  stand,  he 
widened  the  gap  soon  after  to  four  or  five  lengths. 
At  the  half-mile  post  Gray  Eagle  made  play,  and 
had  nearly  closed  the  gap  as  they  came  opposite 
the  Oakland  House,  when  he  suddenly  faltered 
as  if  shot,  and  after  limping  a  step  or  two, 
abruptly  stopped  !  '  Gray  Eagle  has  let  down  I ' 
was  the  cry  on  all  hands,  and  when  the  specta- 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  217 

tors  became  aware  of  the  truth  of  the  painful 
announcement,  the  tearful  eyes  of  a  radiant  host 
of  Kentucky's  daughters,  and  the  heartfelt  sorrow 
depicted  in  the  countenance  of  her  sons,  indicated 
the  sincerity  of  the  sympathy  with  which  they 
regarded  the  untimely  accident  to  their  game  and 
gallant  champion. 

"  It  was  supposed,  on  a  hasty  examination,  that 
Gray  Eagle  had  given  way  in  the  back  sinews  of 
his  left  fore  leg,  but  it  has  since  been  ascertained 
that  the  injury  was  in  the  cofHn  joint.  Mr.  Bur- 
bridge  on  the  instant  tightly  bandaged  the  leg 
with  a  stout  strip  of  dry  canvas,  which  being  kept 
wet,  would  have  prevented  the  horse  from  coming 
down  on  his  pastern  joints  even  had  his  leaders 
given  way. 

"  A  fortnight  after  the  race  the  horse  promised 
to  recover  perfectly;  Mr.  Shotwell  informed  us 
that  the  ankle  and  joint  were  a  little  swollen,  but 
that  neither  the  horse's  pastern  nor  canon  bones 
were  affected,  and  his  leaders  were  as  sound  as 
ever.  We  doubt,  however,  whether  he  will  ever 
stand  another  training;  a  slight  wrench  would 
render  him  as  lame  as  ever.  We  need  not  add 
that,  while  his  owners  and  managers  have  the 
cordial  sympathy  of  their  friends,  and  the  sport- 


2i8  The  American  Tbowugbbred 

ing  world  generally,  there  is  no  one  'with  soul 
so  dead '  as  to  withhold  the  expression  of  their 
admiration  of  the  gallant  gray,  and  their  heartiest 
wishes  for  his  speedy  recovery. 

"  Soon  after  Gray  Eagle  was  stopped,  Cato 
pulled  Wagner  out  of  his  stride,  and  galloped 
him  slowly  round.  The  intelligence  of  the  High 
Mettled  Racer  was  clearly  indicated  by  Wagner's 
subsequent  action;  from  the  head  of  the  stretch 
home  he  invariably  went  at  a  racing  pace,  and 
appeared  as  if  he  did  not  know  what  was  required 
of  him,  frequently  bursting  off  in  spite  of  his 
rider.  On  the  fourth  mile,  as  he  passed  his  own 
stable,  the  rubbers  and  riders  standing  on  its  roof 
gave  him  a  hearty  cheer,  and  the  gallant  horse 
broke  off,  and  in  spite  of  Cato's  utmost  exertions, 
ran  at  the  very  top  of  his  speed  for  nearly  five 
hundred  yards,  as  if  plied  with  steel  and  whale- 
bone the  whole  way !  We  never  saw  a  more  mag- 
nificent exhibition  of  unflinching  game.  Even 
the  friends  of  Gray  Eagle  forgot  their  distress 
for  a  moment,  in  doing  justice  by  a  cheer  to  the 
gallant  and  victorious  champion  of  Louisiana. 

Recapitulation :  — 

"  Saturday,  October  5.  Jockey  Club  Purse, 
^1500,  conditions  as  before,  four-mile  heats. 


Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle  219 

"  James  S.  Garrison's  —  John  Campbell's  —  ch.  h. 
Wagner,,  by  Sir  Charles,  out  of  Maria  West,  by 
Marion,  5  yrs.,  Cato 3^1 

A.  L.  Shotwell's  gr.  c.  Gray  Eagle,  by  Woodpecker, 
out  of  Ophelia,  by  Wild  Medley,  4  yrs.,  Stephen 
Welch 12^ 

Willa  Viley's  b.  f.  Emily  Johnson,  own  sister  to  Single- 
ton, by  Bertrand,  out  of  Black- eyed  Susan,  by 

Tiger,  4  yrs 2     dist. 

Time,  7.51 ;  7.43 ;  third  heat,  no  time  kept." 

For  more  convenient  reference,  we  repeat  the 
time  of  each  mile  in  tabular  form:  — 

First  Heat  Second  Heat                            Third  Heat 

ist  mile     2.05  ist  mile     2.08                 No  time  kept,  as 

2d   mile     1.55  2d   mile     1.52  Gray    Eagle    gave 

3d   mile     1.56  3d   mile     1.55  way  in  running  the 

4th  mile     1.55  4th  mile     1.48  second  mile. 

7-51  743 

1  Gray  Eagle  gave  way  in  second  mile. 


CHAPTER   XI 

Kentucky's  greatness  of  blood 

Such  a  race  between  such  horses  could  not 
have  been  possible  without  the  very  highest  of 
thoroughbred  breeding  being  present  in  both 
animals.  And  this  contest,  of  this  character,  be- 
speaks the  excellence  which  the  racing  horse  had 
obtained  in  what  were  then  called  the  Southern 
and  Western  states.  It  may  readily  be  seen  that 
that  particular  section  of  the  country  had  early 
busied  itself  in  the  creation  of  a  first-class  animal 
for  the  turf  and  other  pui-poses. 

Kentucky  and  Tennessee  were  settled  by  the 
Virginians  and  the  Carolinians.  There  were  two 
lines  of  emigration  toward  the  Mississippi  River. 
These  two  lines  met  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
and  there  were  merged,  in  a  way;  and  as  they 
had  come  from  states  where  the  breeding  of  the 
thoroughbred  horse  had  already  been  in  prog- 
ress fifty  years  or  more,  they  immediately  began 
bringing   into    the   new   countries    that   superior 


Kentucky's  Greatness  of  Blood         221 

blood  which  they  had  known  in  their  mother 
states. 

Virginia  furnished  the  greater  number  of 
animals  to  the  early  breeders  of  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  as  she  also  furnished  them  to  the 
gentlemen  of  the  extreme  Southern  states.  The 
Kentuckians  were  much  enamoured  of  what  they 
called  the  Archy  stock.  The  Archy  stock  was 
represented  by  sons  and  daughters  and  grand  sons 
and  daughters  of  that  Sir  Archy  who  was  sired 
by  that  imported  Diomed  who  has  heretofore 
been  referred  to  in  these  papers  as  having  made 
the  greatest  impress  upon  the  thoroughbred  horse 
of  Virginia. 

There  was  at  one  time  almost  as  much  of  this 
Archy  blood  in  Kentucky  as  had  been  left  behind 
in  Virginia.  Beginning  with  that  as  a  founda- 
tion, the  Kentuckians  went  enthusiastically  to 
work  to  contribute  their  part  to  the  national 
fabric,  and  in  order  to  do  so  they  very  early 
became  their  own  importers  from  England. 

The  crossing  of  these  foreign  sires  upon  the 
Archy,  Bertrand,  Fearnought,  Janus,  Citizen,  and 
Pacolet  blood  which  they  had  in  their  brood 
mares  produced  the  first  of  the  famous  horses 
which   have  kept  the   name  of  Kentucky  before 


222  The  American  Thoroughbred 

the  whole  racing  world  for  almost  a  hundred 
years.  There  is  not  a  land  under  the  sun  which 
.gives  the  slightest  attention  to  the  thoroughbred 
where  Kentucky  is  not  more  or  less  known. 
The  fame  of  the  old  Blue  Grass  State  stretches 
to  the  limit  of  human  loves  for  good  horses. 

While  Kentucky  was  yet  a  part  of  Virginia,  its 
population  seems  to  have  brought  with  them  a 
passion  for  fine  horses,  which  has  grown  with 
their  growth.  As  early  as  1795  (two  years  only 
after  Kentucky  had  set  up  on  its  own  account) 
there  were  many  extensive  studs  of  fine  horses. 
Among  others,  Mr.  Hubbard  Taylor  and  Colonel 
Abraham  Buford  had  very  large  studs  of  blooded 
horses;  and  in  1806,  at  the  sale  of  John  Brecken- 
ridge,  not  much  short  of  two  hundred  mares, 
fillies,  and  colts  of  pure  blood  were  dispersed  to 
different  purchasers.  There  were  many  other 
breeders  on  a  smaller  scale,  both  then  and  after- 
ward, scattered  through  the  state ;  and  the  bred 
stallions  from  Europe  and  the  east  and  south  of 
America  here  found  their  most  profitable  market 
and  propagated  by  far  their  most  numerous 
stocks.  Buzzard,  Royalist,  Dragon,  Speculator, 
Spread  Eagle,  Forester,  Alderman,  Eagle,  Pre- 
tender, Touchstone,  Archer,  and  many  others  of 


Kentucky's  Greatness  of  Blood         223 

the  finest  stallions  of  England  stood  many  years 
in  Kentucky,  and  most  of  them  left  their  bones 
in  that  state. 

These  horses  were  let  to  mares  (brought  to 
Kentucky  by  gentlemen  settling  in  the  state),  the 
get  of  Janus,  Fearnought,  Diomed,  Medley,  Wild- 
air,  Sterling,  Shark,  and  indeed  most  of  the  best 
stallions  bred  or  imported  into  the  Eastern,  South- 
ern, or  Middle  states. 

For  many  years,  blooded  mares  and  stallions 
were  annually  brought  into  Kentucky  in  return 
for  cattle,  hogs,  mules,  geldings,  etc.,  driven  to  the 
Eastern  and  Southern  market  by  the  Kentuckians. 
To  say  nothing  of  the  native  Kentucky  horses, 
who  were  little  if  at  all  inferior  to  any  on  the  con- 
tinent, the  state  was  full  of  foreign  stallions  of  the 
purest  blood.  Two  close  relatives  of  Sir  Archy, 
one  (Potomac)  by  his  sire,  and  the  other  (Hephes- 
tion)  out  of  his  dam,  stood  within  a  few  miles  of 
Lexington.  Hephestion  was,  at  that  time,  the 
only  living  son  of  Buzzard,  and  was  out  of  the 
best  mare  ever  on  this  continent. 

Wrote  a  gentleman  fifty  years  ago :  "  Bertrand, 
Cherokee,  Saxe  Weimar,  Sumpter,  Kosciusko, 
and  several  others  of  the  first  sons  of  Sir  Archy 
stood  within  less  than  a  day's  ride  of  Lexington. 


224  The  American  Thoroughbred 

His  brothers,  Hamlintonian,  Florizel,  Cashier,  and 
Eclipse  (the  sire  of  Doublehead),  had  a  numerous 
progeny  in  Kentucky.  No  part  of  the  United 
States  can  produce  perhaps  so  large  a  number  of 
the  blood  and  kindred  of  that  first  and  noblest 
of  American  horses  as  this  state  and  this  part 
of  it. 

"  Kentucky's  stock  of  horses,  of  other  bloods 
than  the  Diomed  or  Archy,  or  only  remotely 
related,  was  very  fine.  Blackburn's  Whip  was  a 
thoroughbred  son  of  the  imported  Whip ;  and 
was,  except  a  defect  in  the  withers,  a  most 
beautiful  horse.  His  brother,  Rees's  Whip,  his 
sons.  Tiger,  Paragon,  Whipster,  Kennon's  Whip, 
and  others,  are  fine  horses ;  and  that  family  is  the 
most  extensive  and  perhaps  the  handsomest  of 
any. 

"  Moses,  son  of  Sir  Harry,  formerly  owned  by 
Mr.  Haxhall  of  Petersburg,  Virginia,  was  a  fine 
animal,  and  left  a  small  but  very  choice  stock. 
Melzor  by  Medley  and  Albert  by  Melzor  out  of 
his  own  dam  also  produced  very  superior  stock." 

Such  as  these  were  the  animals  which  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  turf  in  Kentucky  and  opened  a 
way  for  the  farms  in  that  state  to  be  more  highly 
productive  than   any  similar  areas  of  ground  in 


Kentucky's  Greatness  of  Blood        225 

the  United  States.  At  this  day  and  time  Lex- 
ington is  the  centre  of  a  breeding  region  which 
perhaps  is  not  surpassed  in  the  world,  and  the 
amount  of  money  which  has  gone  into  the  state 
through  the  thoroughbred  horse  alone  is  beyond 
computation.  No  other  product  of  the  state,  not 
even  her  whiskey,  has  yielded  to  the  old  common- 
wealth such  an  enormous  annual  income. 

While  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas  and  Mary- 
land have  almost  entirely  lost  their  early  prestige 
as  the  homes  of  the  thoroughbred  horse,  Ken- 
tucky has  gone  on  breeding,  until  now  she  is  the 
unrivalled  section  of  this  country  for  the  produc- 
tion of  the  horse,  and  there  are  more  thorough- 
breds within  her  boundaries  than  exist  in  all  the 
other  states  of  the  Union. 

The  men  who  concerned  themselves  with  the 
thoroughbred  in  Kentucky  were  of  the  type  of 
the  Virginians  and  Carolinians  who  had  preceded 
them.  Perhaps  the  most  noted  man  as  a  breeder 
that  we  have  ever  had  in  America  was  Robert 
Aitcheson  Alexander.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
was  educated  at  Cambridge,  England,  under  the 
direction  of  his  uncle.  Sir  William  Alexander;  and 
on  his  return  to  this  country  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion  to   breeding.     He   was   possessed   of  large 


2  26  The  American  Tborougbbred 

fortune,  and  was  able  to  carry  out  his  ideas  on 
a  grand  scale. 

He  made  his  Kentucky  farm,  Woodburn,  the 
largest  breeding  estate  in  the  world,  not  even 
excepting  that  wealthy  corporation,  the  Rawcliffe 
Stud  Company  of  England.  In  1856  his  colors, 
blue  and  white,  first  appeared  upon  the  turf.  He 
was  unsuccessful  for  a  time,  but  perseverance 
secured  to  him  the  most  formidable  racing  stud 
in  America.  He  established  annual  sales,  in 
which  his  yearling  colts  were  sold  at  auction. 
These  sales  at  Woodburn  were  very  popular. 
At  one  of  them,  in  the  bright  month  of  June, 
you  met  gentlemen  from  all  parts  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada. 

R.  A.  Alexander  never  married ;  the  thorough- 
bred claimed  his  warmest  love.  Still,  though 
modest  and  unassuming,  he  was  polished  in  so- 
ciety. He  died  December  i,  1867,  aged  forty- 
eight  years,  simply  of  prostration.  He  never  was 
strong,  and  the  cares  of  his  great  breeding  estate 
told  upon  the  worn  machinery.  The  fuel  burned 
out,  the  motive  power  was  exhausted,  and  then 
there  was  a  tremble  of  the  feebly  revolving 
wheel,  followed  by  a  silent  clog. 

Mr.  Alexander  did  more  in  his  short  life  for 


Kentucky's  Greatness  of  Bbod         227 

the  improvement  of  the  blood-horse  than  any 
other  man  in  America.  Woodburn  is  still  a  vast 
breeding  estate.  After  the  death  of  R.  A.  Alex- 
ander it  was  carried  on  by  A.  John  Alexander, 
the  successor  of  his  brother,  and,  like  him,  a 
bachelor. 

The  foundation  for  the  improvement  of  the 
blood-horse  in  Tennessee  was  laid  by  Barry's 
Gray  Medley,  a  horse  of  beauty,  spirit,  and  game- 
ness,  who  made  his  first  season  ten  miles  north 
of  Nashville,  in  the  year  1800.  He  was  got 
by  imported  Medley,  and  was  the  sire  of  the 
dam  of  the  famous  brood-mare,  Madam  Tonson. 
Barry's  Medley  was  bred  in  Virginia,  and  ridden 
from  that  state  to  Tennessee  by  a  colored  boy, 
Altamont,  raised  by  General  Washington.  This 
faithful  black  was  then  the  servant  of  Redman 
D.  Barry,  and  for  a  year  after  leaving  Virginia 
with  Medley,  his  master  heard  nothing  of  him. 
He  presumed  that  slave  and  horse  were  lost  to 
him  forever ;  and  therefore,  at  the  end  of  twelve 
months,  was  surprised  by  the  report  that  came  to 
him  from  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland.  Alta- 
mont had  made  a  successful  season  with  the  stall- 
ion, and  as  the  profits  of  the  season  placed  ^2000 
to  the  bank  credit  of  his  master. 


2  28  The  American  Thorotigbbred 

This  son  of  Africa  afterward  trained  Polly 
Medley,  and  ran  her  for  Mr.  Barry,  against 
Indian  Queen,  owned  and  run  by  General  Jack- 
son. The  race  was  contested  in  1803,  and  it 
resulted  in  the  defeat  of  Old  Hickory,  who,  grace- 
fully acknowledging  defeat,  —  a  thing  he  was  not 
wont  to  do, — paid  a  high  compliment  to  Alta- 
mont.  Mr.  Barry  was  a  generous  master,  and  he 
was  so  well  pleased  with  the  conduct  of  Alta- 
mont  that  he  gave  him  his  freedom  in  the  shape 
of  a  pass  for  ninety-nine  years. 

After  Medley  came  Wilkes's  Wonder,  a  son  of 
Diomed,  then  Pacolet  and  Tennessee  Oscar,  to 
build  up  the  blood  stock  of  Tennessee ;  and  this 
rich  infusion  of  blood  aided  in  making  the  state 
one  of  the  great  race-horse  regions  of  America. 
Truxton,  got  by  Diomed,  large,  muscular,  and  a 
powerful  strider,  in  early  days  was  the  favorite 
race-horse  and  stallion  of  General  Andrew  Jack- 
son. He  was  good  at  any  distance,  winning 
from  a  quarter  to  a  race  of  four-mile  heats. 

Mr.  Catton  was  the  owner  of  a  very  fleet  mare. 
Greyhound;  and  this  mare  was  matched  against 
Truxton,  a  mile  dash.  Each  racer  had  its  friends, 
and  betting  on  the  result  was  quite  lively.  Trux- 
ton  won   the  race,  and   droves    of   horses  —  the 


Kentucky's  Greatness  of  Bbod         229 

spoils  of  victory  —  were  turned  over  to  General 
Jackson  and  his  party. 

The  memorable  duel  between  Jackson  and 
Dickinson  grew  out  of  the  defeat  of  Irving's 
Plow  Boy,  in  a  race  of  two-mile  heats,  for  $5000, 
by  Truxton. 

Among  the  old  and  prominent  breeders  of 
Tennessee  may  be  named  Judge  Barry,  General 
W.  G.  Harding,  Hon.  BailHe  Peyton,  the  Cock- 
erills,  and  General  Lucius  J.  Polk ;  the  latter  the 
elder  brother  of  General  Leonidas  Polk,  who  was 
killed  in  the  Confederate  service. 

From  this  general  dissertation  upon  the  foun- 
dation of  the  American  race-horse  it  is  hoped 
that  even  the  most  casual  reader  may  be  able 
to  understand  the  production  of  that  animal 
which  we  are  going  down  to  see  any  of  these 
afternoons  at  Sheepshead  Bay.  The  story  of 
him  from  this  page  onward  is  the  story  of  his 
accomplishment,  purely  and  simply.  We  cannot 
know  him  in  all  his  races,  but  we  can  know  him 
through  that  series  of  contests  which  went  on 
from  year  to  year  over  the  tracks  of  the  North 
and  the  South  and  the  West. 

Continued  fresh  importations  of  English  blood 
enriched    and    outcrossed   the    native   lines,  and 


230  The  American  Thoroughbred 

rapid  production  under  skies  friendly  to  equine 
growth  so  multiplied  the  throughbred  of  America, 
that  by  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  there  was 
scarcely  a  city  of  importance  in  the  United  States 
where  racing  of  some  character  was  not  held, 
and  there  was  hardly  a  state  which  did  not 
have  some  breeders  within  its  confines.  The 
supremacy  of  the  South,  however,  had  become 
firmly  established,  and  it  has  not  to  this  day 
been  shaken.  It  is  a  regret  to  say  that,  with  the 
wearing  out  of  the  lands  and  the  loss  of  the  for- 
tunes of  the  old  plantation  owners  of  Virginia, 
both  the  production  of  race-horses  and  the  in- 
dulgence in  the  sport  there  fell  off.  Now  there 
are  in  existence  not  more  than  half  a  dozen 
breeding  establishments  in  the  entire  state  where 
Diomed  lived,  where  Sir  Archy,  Timoleon,  and 
Boston  had  birth,  and  where  splendid  gendemen 
conducted  the  then  pastime. 


CHAPTER   XII 

BOSTON    THE    KING 

Taking  up  in  succession  the  great  events  of 
the  turf,  we  are  brought  down  to  a  horse  called 
Boston.  This  animal,  whose  name  stood  domi- 
nant for  nine  years  on  the  American  turf,  is 
to-day  thought  by  many  students  of  the  turf  to 
be  the  greatest  horse  that  ever  lived  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic.  Some  are  inclined  to  give  the 
crown  of  kingship  to  Boston's  son,  Lexington. 
And  yet,  on  the  records,  Boston,  it  seems,  has 
a  place  of  his  own  creation  from  which  he  has 
not  been  ousted  in  all  the  succeeding  years  since 
he  was  galloping  to  such  magnificent  victories. 
The  story  of  Boston  takes  us  back  to  the  story 
of  the  Union  Course,  and  to  that  day,  which 
was  perhaps  as  great  a  day  as  we  have  had  on 
the  turf,  when  he  met  the  star  of  the  North,  in 
the  chestnut  filly  Fashion. 

Boston  was  a  Virginia  product,  and  was  the 
natural  successor  of  the  line  which  Diomed  had 
231 


2  32  The  American  Tboroiigbhred 

established  in  America.  He  was  sired  by  Timo- 
leon,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy,  out  of  a  full  sister  to 
Tuckahoe.  The  honors  of  breeding  him  belong 
to  Squire  Wickham,  a  Virginia  gentleman  who 
owned  a  few  mares  and  gave  a  loving  atten- 
tion to  the  thoroughbred.  The  grandam  of  Bos- 
ton had  originally  been  owned  by  Randolph  of 
Roanoke.  Squire  Wickham  purchased  her  from 
Randolph  in  1802.  Boston  was  foaled  on  the 
Wickham  plantation  in   1833. 

He  was  a  little  chestnut  colt  with  a  broad 
blaze  on  his  face,  and  not  much  was  thought  of 
him  on  the  home  farm.  When  he  was  a  two- 
year-old  and  not  yet  used  to  the  saddle  or  bridle, 
Squire  Wickham  sold  him  to  Nathaniel  Rives 
of  Richmond,  Virginia,  for  $800.  Captain  John 
Belcher  first  had  the  care  of  Boston  in  training. 
He  was  a  three-year-old  before  anything  was 
asked  of  him. 

The  horse  seems  to  have  had  some  striking 
peculiarities,  those  peculiarities  which  go  with 
a  strong  individuality.  Belcher,  who  was  one 
of  the  trainers  for  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson, 
had  seen  Boston  do  things  in  the  early  morning 
which  made  him  think  that  perhaps  in  this  fel- 
low he  had  a  high-class    animal.     Yet  he  could 


Boston  the  King  233 

not  convince  Colonel  Johnson  that  Boston  was 
of  any  account  at  all. 

But  for  a  trial  which  took  place  down  in  Vir- 
ginia one  morning,  Boston  might  have  been 
relegated  to  "bush  racing,"  and  Johnson,  who 
was  the  greatest  active  turfman  of  his  day,  might 
never  have  had  him.  Johnson  was  at  the  Peters- 
burg track  to  try  a  pair  of  horses.  Belcher 
begged  him  to  permit  Boston  to  take  a  sampling 
gallop  with  them.  Argyle  and  Mary  Blunt  were 
the  trial  horses  with  Boston.  Both  of  them 
had  already  raced  themselves  into  considerable 
reputation. 

The  two  trial  horses  went  away  from  Boston 
just  as  they  pleased,  and  he  seemed  to  be  unable 
to  keep  within  striking  distance  of  them. 
Belcher  was  so  disgusted  that  he  gave  Boston 
up,  and  turned  away  to  escape  the  badinage  of 
Colonel  Johnson  and  the  other  trainer,  Arthur 
Taylor.  Argyle  and  Mary  Blunt  were  running 
a  fast  trial  head  and  head,  and  Boston  was  trail- 
ing far  behind  them  when  they  turned  into  the 
head  of  the  stretch  at  the  end  of  the  last  mile. 
Then  Boston  did  a  most  surprising  thing;  he 
suddenly  put  his  head  into  the  bridle  and  set 
himself  to  run.     He  showed  such  a  marvellous 


2  34  The  American  Thoroughbred 

burst  of  speed  that  he  beat  the  pair  of  them 
through  the  stretch  and  finished  first.  Then 
Colonel  Johnson  said  he  would  do. 

That  trial  began  a  career  for  him  which  lasted 
until  he  was  nine  years  old.  He  had  run  races  pre- 
vious to  this  trial,  but  had  not  acquitted  himself 
with  credit.  He  started  at  Broad  Rock,  Virginia, 
in  1836,  in  a  sweepstakes  for  three-year-olds,  and 
while  in  the  lead  the  boy  pricked  him  with  the 
spur  and  he  bolted.  The  result,  of  course,  was 
that  he  was  unplaced.  He  did  not  start  again 
until  the  following  year,  when,  in  the  name  of 
William  Williamson,  he  was  entered  at  the  New- 
market Course  at  Petersburg,  in  a  Proprietors' 
Purse,  and,  running  true  for  the  first  time,  won 
his  race  easily  in  straight  heats  on  a  very  heavy 
track. 

Previous  to  that  race,  he  had  not  even  been 
dignified  with  a  name.  He  was  merely  known 
as  "  the  Timoleon  colt."  After  that  they  called 
him  Boston  from  the  game  of  cards  which  was 
popular  at  the  time. 

His  next  race  was  at  Hanover  Court  House,  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  was  entered  in  the  regular  way  as 
John  Belcher's  chestnut  colt,  Boston,  by  Timoleon. 
He  had  to  meet  a  crack  field,  made  up  of  Betsey 


Boston  the  King  235 

Minge,  Gohanna,  Upton  Heath,  Nick  Biddle,  Alp, 
and  Bayard.  The  track  was  excessively  deep, 
and  Boston  won  the  three-mile  heats  straight  out 
without  a  semblance  of  a  struggle. 

It  was  in  the  following  spring  that  Boston  came 
under  the  immediate  eye  of  Colonel  Johnson 
and  had  his  first  real  opportunity  to  distinguish 
himself.  Colonel  Johnson  at  that  time  had  in 
his  stable  Atalanta,  Lady  Clifden,  Mary  Blunt, 
and  Argyle.  All  these  were  famous  racing  ani- 
mals at  two-mile,  three-mile,  and  four-mile  heats. 
Because  they  had  already  made  reputation  for 
themselves,  Boston  was  compelled  to  take  second 
place  to  them,  but  he  was  not  long  in  showing 
that  he  was  an  animal  of  such  capacity  that 
championship  belonged  to  him. 

The  first  essay  that  he  made  in  the  spring  of 
1837  was  over  the  National  Course  at  Washington, 
when  he  distanced  four  of  the  five  animals  that 
started  against  him.  For  some  reason,  he  was 
not  permitted  to  go  to  the  post  again  until  the 
fall.  But  in  October,  on  the  same  National 
Course,  he  again  defeated  a  high-class  field  in 
straight  heats.  Both  these  races  were  at  three- 
mile  heats. 

Then  they  took  him  up  to  Baltimore,  and,  hav- 


236  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

ing  won  the  four-mile  races  with  other  horses  in 
his  stable,  Colonel  Johnson  started  Boston  in  a 
three-mile  heat  event  against  the  best  horses  in 
Maryland,  and  he  beat  them  in  straight  heats. 
Again,  at  Camden,  New  Jersey,  he  met  the  three- 
milers  and  again  won  in  straight  heats.  And  that 
ended  his  career  in  1837. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1838  that  Boston,  who 
had  come  to  be  known  as  "  Old  White-nose," 
first  had  a  glimpse  of  the  Union  Course,  which 
was  to  be  the  scene  of  his  most  famous  race, 
though  he  was  defeated  in  that  race.  There  was 
nothing  on  this  first  occasion  to  meet  him  at 
three-mile  heats,  and  he  had  a  walk-over  for  the 
purse. 

Going  over  to  the  Beacon  Course,  an  old  track 
in  New  Jersey,  he  was  started  for  the  first  time 
at  the  classical  distance  of  four-mile  heats.  His 
only  competitor  was  John  C.  Stevens's  chestnut 
horse  Dosoris  by  Henry.  Dosoris  was  ailing 
at  the  time,  and  he  was  started  merely  to  make  a 
showing  and  to  prevent  another  walk-over  for  the 
Timoleon  colt  from    Virginia. 

There  was  racing  at  that  time  a  horse  called 
Decatur,  and  a  few  da3^s  after  the  gallop  which 
Boston  had  to  defeat  Dosoris,  he  met  at  Camden, 


Boston  the  King  237 

New  Jersey,  this  Decatur.  Decatur  was  a  horse 
of  considerable  name  and  in  the  height  of  his 
fame.  Both  his  managers  and  the  pubHc  had 
by  this  time  come  to  reahze  that  Boston  was 
a  horse  of  more  than  ordinary  moment,  and 
when  he  came  to  the  post  to  front  Decatur  there 
was  an  enormous  amount  of  betting  on  the  race. 
The  course  was  fetlock  deep  in  mud.  Boston 
was  a  horse  that  could  go  through  bad  going 
as  cleverly  as  he  could  through  good.  Decatur 
was  a  long  strider,  gathered  slowly,  and  so  was 
unfit  to  race  where  the  track  was  not  fast.  Bos- 
ton again  had  no  trouble  in  winning. 

The  following  year  Boston  came  back  to  Long 
Island  and  to  the  Union  Course.  His  winter 
trials  had  convinced  Colonel  Johnson  that  he 
was  a  better  four-miler  than  anything  in  his 
stable,  and  he  was  entered  to  meet  Charles  Car- 
ter and  any  others  in  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  of 
$1000,  which  was  the  star  event  of  that  spring 
meeting.  Charles  Carter  led  Boston  to  the  end 
of  the  third  mile  by  a  neck,  but  soon  afterward, 
when  Boston  went  up  to  him  and  it  came  to  a 
struggle,  Charles  Carter,  in  the  strenuousness  of 
that  struggle,  gave  way  in  his  right  fore  leg. 
Boston     then    galloped    home    alone.       Charles 


238  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Carter,  being  the  only  one  of  a  number  of  entries 
to  respond  to  the  call,  was  of  course  drawn  after 
that  first  heat,  and  Boston  galloped  over  for  the 
second.  After  the  race  $15,000  was  refused  for 
Boston. 

Under  unfortunate  conditions,  that  is,  on  a 
muddy  track,  but  against  a  horse  that  was  known 
to  be  good  in  the  mud,  Boston  had  his  first  gruel- 
ling race  just  a  week  after  the  Union  Course  affair, 
at  the  Beacon  Course.  Again  it  was  the  Jockey 
Club  Purse  of  $1000,  and  again,  of  course,  it  was 
four-mile  heats.  This  was  the  first  race  in  which 
Boston  lost  a  heat  after  he  passed  into  Colonel 
Johnson's  hands.  The  animal  which  he  had  to 
beat  was  the  bay  horse  Duane,  by  imported 
Hedgford.  Boston  did  not  run  kindly  in  the 
race.  He  sulked  repeatedly,  and  Duane  beat 
him  the  first  heat  in  the  good  time  of  7.52,  track 
conditions  considered.  Boston  won  the  next  two 
heats  and  the  race,  though  he  was  so  full  of 
notions  at  the  start  of  the  third  heat  that  he  had 
to  be  whipped  off  from  the  post. 

They  did  not  start  him  again  until  the  autumn, 
and  then,  at  the  Newmarket  Course  at  Peters- 
burg, Virginia,  he  had  a  galloping  victory  over  a 
mare  called  Polly  Green,  at  four-mile  heats. 


Boston  the  King  239 

Two  weeks  later,  however,  he  met  something 
that  could  make  him  race  some  when,  at  Balti- 
more, he  struck  Bailie  Peyton.  He  seems  up  to 
this  time  to  have  always  found  a  heavy  track. 
They  ran  the  first  four  miles  in  8.05,  Boston 
winning  rather  easily.  Then  Bailie  Peyton  was 
withdrawn,  and  Boston  won  the  final  heat  by 
galloping  over. 

The  next  week,  at  the  Kendall  Course,  Boston 
was  entered  to  start  in  a  Jockey  Club  Purse  of 
^700  and  Colonel  Johnson  was  paid  $500  not  to 
start  him,  because  his  running  would  scare  every- 
thing else  out  of  the  field  and  the  race  would  be 
spoiled.  At  Camden,  New  Jersey,  exactly  the 
same  thing  happened  the  next  week.  Colonel 
Johnson  received  $500  of  a  thousand  dollar  purse 
to  keep  "  Old  White-nose  "  in  the  stable. 

Then  he  came  on  up  to  the  Union  Course 
again,  and,  in  a  four-mile  race,  he  signally  de- 
feated in  straight  heats  the  chestnut  horse 
Decatur,  a  son  of  that  Henry  which  had  been 
beaten  by  Eclipse  in  the  first  of  the  matches 
between  the  North  and  the  South.  Decatur 
was  by  Henry,  one  of  those  contestants,  and 
out  of  Ostrich,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Eclipse, 
the  other  runner  in  the  great  match.     Although 


240  The  American  Thorougbhred 

Boston  beat  him  decisively,  the  friends  of  Deca- 
tur thought  that  their  horse  was  not  fit,  and  the 
following  week,  over  at  the  Beacon  Course, 
Decatur  was  again  sent  against  "  Old  White- 
nose."  Again  Boston  defeated  him  in  straight 
heats. 

That  race  took  place  on  the  9th  of  November, 
and  it  closed  the  career  of  Boston  as  a  five-year- 
old.  He  won  nine  jockey  club  purses  at  four- 
mile  heats,  walked  over  for  a  three-mile  purse, 
received  $1000  to  withdraw  from  two  other 
races,  and  lost  one  heat. 

The  next  spring,  that  is  to  say,  in  1839,  Boston 
had  a  match  on  with  a  colt  called  Portsmouth,  at 
two-mile  heats.  He  was  started  absolutely  unfit, 
and  Portsmouth  outran  him  in  both  heats  and 
beat  him  easily.  Portsmouth  was  trained  to  a  day, 
and  Boston  was  as  big  as  a  bull.  The  race  did 
him  good,  however,  and  benefited  him  so  much 
that  ten  days  after  that  he  started  at  three-mile 
heats  on  the  Broad  Rock  Course  in  Virginia  and 
won  in  straight  heats  in  his  own  way.  The  first 
heat,  which  was  run  in  5.46,  was  pronounced  the 
fastest  ever  run  over  the  Broad  Rock  track. 

And  then  he  went  on  through  that  season  of 
1839  and  made  a  record  for  himself  which  has 


Boston  the  King  241 

not  a  parallel  in  American  turf  tales.  After  that 
race  in  which  he  was  beaten  by  Portsmouth,  he 
won  in  succession  eight  races,  seven  of  which 
were  at  four-mile  heats,  and  he  defeated  e very- 
good  horse  racing  north  of  the  Potomac. 

When  he  had  concluded  the  season  of  1839  he 
had  established  for  himself  a  reputation  of  such 
character  for  maintaining  high  speed  at  great 
distances  that,  in  1840,  there  were  virtually  no 
horses  on  the  turf  conceded  to  have  any  chance 
whatever  with  him.  So  barren  was  the  field 
offered  to  him  that  in  the  whole  year  of  1840 
this  animal,  that  was  scarcely  ever  out  of  condi- 
tion or  in  such  training  frame  that  his  owners 
were  not  willing  to  start  him,  went  to  the  post 
but  six  times,  winning  each  time. 

And  in  order  to  find  competitors  he  was  com- 
pelled to  change  his  route,  which  had  formerly 
been  from  Virginia  northward  through  Maryland 
into  New  Jersey,  and  to  take  a  southerly  course, 
carrying  him  away  as  far  as  Augusta,  Georgia. 
He  went  there  for  the  purpose,  primarily,  of 
meeting  Gano  in  a  match  race.  He  remained 
to  start  again  within  ten  days  against  Santa 
Anna  and  Omega,  and  to  run  one  of  the  smash- 
ing races  of  his  career. 


242  The  American  Tboroiighhred 

Had  his  liberal  and  high-spirited  owners  desired 
to  do  so,  they  could  have  rendered  many  of  the 
four-mile  sweepstakes  of  1840  void  of  interest  by 
insisting  on  starting  Boston.  They  frequently 
allowed  the  horse  to  remain  in  his  stable  when  it 
was  a  certainty  that  by  starting  him  they  could 
have  taken  the  purses  offered  with  hardly  more 
than  an  ordinary  effort  by  him. 

After  Boston  so  signally  defeated  Gano  in  the 
Georgia  match  there  were  two  jockey  club  purses 
virtually  waiting  for  him  at  Savannah  and  Charles- 
ton. The  courtesy  of  his  owners  prevented  his 
starting.  In  the  spring  of  1840  he  started  but 
twice,  though  it  was  conceded  by  every  one  that 
in  that  season  he  could  have  won  every  four- 
mile  purse  given  within  travelling  distance  of  his 
personality. 

The  various  jockey  clubs  between  Boston's 
home  at  Petersburg  and  the  Union  Course  at 
Long  Island  were  dismayed  at  the  prospect  of 
having  their  programmes  ruined  by  the  appear- 
ance of  "  Old  White-nose,"  and  it  was  at  their  per- 
sonal solicitation  that  Boston  was  withdrawn  from 
all  of  these  races  and  sent  away  to  the  South,  that 
the  sport  of  the  North  might  not  meet  with  such 
serious  interference.     So  feared  was  the  horse  at 


Boston  the  King  243 

this  time  that  some  of  the  Northern  track  proprie- 
tors seriously  proposed  to  exclude  him  from  run- 
ning. The  possibility  was  discussed  of  opening 
their  races  to  the  world,  bar  Boston. 

That  the  sport  might  not  be  spoiled  and  the 
public  disappointed,  the  gentlemen  who  had  con- 
trol of  the  fortunes  of  Boston  permitted  stake 
and  private  forfeits  to  go  by  rather  than  collect 
them  at  the  expense  of  the  pleasure  of  the  public. 
He  found  enough  to  do,  however,  in  Virginia,  at 
Washington,  and  in  Georgia  to  bring  a  comfort- 
able amount  to  the  credit  of  his  stable.  And 
then,  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  after  a  racing 
career  that  probably  has  no  precedent  in  its 
severity  upon  the  constitution  of  a  horse,  he 
went  home  to  Petersburg,  with  legs  as  clean  as 
a  hound's  tooth,  as  sound  as  a  dollar  all  over. 
He  had  beaten  every  horse  he  could  reach  that 
year  and  had  challenged   all   other  living  ones. 

It  seemed  quite  possible  to  Colonel  Johnson, 
who  was  looking  after  him,  that  Boston  might 
be  the  following  year  a  horse  without  honor, 
because  there  were  no  more  honors  for  him  to 
gain.  With  that  possibility  confronting  the 
owners  of  the  animal,  Boston  was  put  in  the 
stud  the  following  spring,  or  in   1841,  and  forty- 


244  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

two  services  were  permitted  at  $ioo  each.  The 
capital  at  which  he  held  his  first  court  was 
Chesterfield,  Virginia. 

From  the  fact  that  he  was  not  in  proper  form 
in  the  spring  of  1841,  Boston  naturally  did  not 
start  in  any  races.  But  after  this  season  had 
ended,  so  great  was  the  desire,  not  only  on  the 
part  of  his  owners,  but  on  the  part  of  the  great 
public,  who  had  come  to  worship  him  as  the 
type  and  essence  of  all  that  was  greatest  in  the 
thoroughbred  world,  in  this  country  or  abroad, 
that  Boston  was  taken  up  in  the  fall  and  put  to 
galloping,  to  see  if  any  constitutional  injury  as  a 
racing  machine  had  occurred  to  him  through  his 
retirement  in  the  spring. 

After  due  preparation  a  trial  was  given  him 
over  his  home  track  at  Petersburg,  and  an  eye- 
witness to  this  trial,  who  went  over  two  hundred 
miles  to  see  it,  assured  his  racing  friends  in  New 
York,  on  his  return,  that  it  was  not  only  the  best 
trial  Boston  ever  ran,  but  was  the  best  trial  ever 
made  over  the  Petersburg  Course,  upon  which 
trials  had  been  run  for  half  a  century. 

After  it  was  found  he  was  thoroughly  at  him- 
self, Colonel  William  R.  Johnson,  in  behalf  of 
himself  and  his  racing  associates,  made  an  offer 


Boston  the  King  245 

which  still  stands  alone  in  turf  annals.  It  was, 
in  brief,  to  match  Boston  for  $45,000  to  run  four- 
mile  heats  against  any  two  horses  in  the  world, 
taking  them  singly  in  heats.  Some  estimate  of 
the  altitude  of  opinion  entertained  about  Boston 
may  be  gleaned  from  the  significant  fact  that 
there  were  no  takers  to  this  peculiar  and  far- 
reaching  challenge. 

But  at  that  moment  defeat  was  awaiting  him 
behind  the  heels  of  one  of  the  sweetest,  fleetest, 
gamest  misses  of  the  turf  that  had  been  seen 
since  the  time  of  Black  Maria.  He  was  to  meet 
the  one  animal  in  this  world  worthy  the  bending 
of  his  bow,  the  one  which  should  give  him  the 
first  defeat  which  he  had  ever  suffered  when  fit. 

He  did  not  start  in  1841  until  the  last  day 
of  September,  and  —  think  for  a  moment !  —  be- 
tween that  and  the  28th  of  October,  less  than  a 
month,  Boston  ran  five  races  of  four-mile  heats 
each.  Four  of  these  he  won  in  succession,  and 
then,  on  the  28th  day  of  October,  at  Camden, 
New  Jersey,  came  the  Waterloo.  He  started  in 
an  ordinary  purse  against  John  Blount  and 
Fashion. 

No  satisfactory  explanation  has  ever  been  made 
of   Boston's   showing   in  that  race,  because  only 


246  The  American  Thoroughbred 

seven  days  before  he  had  run  most  gallantly  in 
defeating  Fashion's  half-brother  Mariner,  at  Balti- 
more, and  a  week  previous  to  that  had  beaten 
three  horses  at  Washington  with  the  utmost  ease. 

In  this  day  and  time  we  would  explain  it  by 
saying  that  the  horse  had  gone  stale  from  over- 
exertion. Whatever  the  cause,  Boston  was  so 
far  amiss  that  he  was  not  able  to  raise  a  decent 
gallop.  His  owners  did  not  wager  a  dollar  on 
him,  and  the  critics  of  the  time  said  that  on  this 
day  "  he  could  not  have  beaten  a  cocktail." 

At  the  end  of  1841  Boston  had  started  thirty- 
eight  times.  He  had  won  thirty-five  races. 
Twenty-six  of  these  had  been  at  four-mile  heats 
and  seven  of  them  at  three-mile  heats.  And 
he  had  gathered  for  the  benefit  of  his  owners 
just  a  little  less  than  ^50,000. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WHEN    BOSTON    MET    FASHION 

He  went  back  to  Virginia  beaten  by  Fashion 
and  John  Blount,  having  been  distanced  in  the 
first  heat  of  that  race.  That  his  defeat  was  a 
reasonable  thing  nobody  thought  for  a  moment. 
The  immediate  result  of  his  misfortune  was  that 
a  note  was  sent  North  to  the  owners  of  Fashion, 
challenging  her  to  run  him  in  the  following 
spring  on  her  own  ground  for  ^20,000  a  side. 

Fashion  was  a  daughter  of  the  English  horse 
Trustee,  who  was  imported  by  Commodore  Stock- 
ton of  New  Jersey.  To  Trustee  was  sent  that 
celebrated  mare  Bonnets  o'  Blue.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Sir  Charles  out  of  Reality,  "  the  very 
best  race-horse,"  said  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson, 
"  I  ever  saw  "  (meaning  by  that  the  mare  Reality). 
Bonnets  o'  Blue  carried  in  her  veins  a  preponder- 
ance of  that  Diomed  or  Sir  Archy  blood  which 
had  made  Virginia  horses  so  famous,  and  she 
was  no  mean  mate  for  this  English  horse  that 
247 


248  The  American  Tborougbhred 

had  come  to  improve  the  turf  of  the  North. 
On  the  26th  of  April,  on  a  farm  near  Madison, 
Morris  County,  New  Jersey,  in  the  good  year  of 
1837,  there  was  foaled  a  chestnut  filly  with  a  star 
and  a  ring  of  white  above  the  coronet  of  her  left 
hind  foot.  On  her  right  quarter  she  was  marked 
with  three  dark  spots,  like  Plenipo  and  other 
"terribly  high-bred  cattle." 

They  were  luck  spots,  those  marks  that  would 
have  been  disfiguring  to  the  non-critical  eye ;  they 
were  the  spots  which  have  distinguished  the  Lex- 
ingtons and  many  of  the  Diomeds,  the  spots  which 
distinguished  Gray  Eagle  and  other  champion 
horses  of  the  American  turf,  the  spots  that  you 
find  on  a  stake  winner  at  Morris  Park  any  of 
these  afternoons.  They  were  conquering  signs, 
those  spots,  which  the  Arabs  noted  in  their 
steeds  and  marked  for  good  fortune. 

This  youngster,  wabbling  about  over  there  in 
New  Jersey,  almost  within  sight  and  sound  of  the 
great  city  of  New  York,  was  aptly  and  beautifully 
named  Fashion.  She  was  foaled  the  property 
of  William  Gibbons,  Esq.,  who  owned  Bonnets  o' 
Blue.  Within  her  were  those  inborn  capacities 
which  were  in  years  to  give  defeat  to  the  most 
dominant  horse  the  American  turf  had  seen,  and 


IVben  Boston  met  Fashion  249 

to  administer  to  the  turf  of  the  South  such  a 
beating  as  they  had  not  received  since  EcHpse 
had  given  Henry  his  vanquishment  when  the 
Union  Course  was  yet  young  in  the  land.  And 
it  was  to  be  upon  that  same  course. 

Mr.  Gibbons  was  an  outspoken  enemy  to  two- 
year-old  racing.  He  had  previously  suffered 
great  misfortune  in  having  Mariner,  Fashion's 
half-brother,  nearly  ruined  in  breaking.  Conse- 
quently, in  spite  of  all  arguments  brought  to  bear 
upon  him,  he  did  not  permit  Fashion  to  be  saddled 
until  the  autumn  of  her  three-year-old  year. 

Once  she  had  been  put  to  galloping,  the  sur- 
plus flesh  taken  off  her,  and  she  had  been  re- 
duced to  that  condition  approaching  fitness  for 
racing,  she  presented  as  handsome  a  picture  of 
the  thoroughbred  as  one  might  see  in  many 
journeyings  in  many  a  land.  When  she  had 
obtained  her  full  growth  she  was  about  i^h 
hands,  rising  high  on  the  withers,  with  a  light 
head  and  neck,  faultless  legs,  an  oblique,  well- 
shaped  shoulder  running  far  back,  and  a  roomy, 
deep,  and  capacious  chest.  Indeed,  her  lung 
space  was  one  of  the  strongest  features  in  her 
make-up.  She  had  good  length  of  barrel,  which 
was  well   ribbed  out,  and  her  loins  were  gently 


250  The  American  Thoroughbred 

but  strongly  arched  and  supported  by  fillets 
of  tremendous  strength  and  power.  She  had 
great  excellence  in  the  muscular  development 
of   her  quarters,  thighs,  and  gaskins. 

As  in  the  greyhound  and  the  hare,  the  seat 
of  the  propelling  power  in  the  horse  which 
enables  him  to  move  with  a  great  degree  of 
velocity  is  centred  in  his  hind  quarters.  Neces- 
sarily, in  proportion  to  the  strength  there  will  be 
the  impulse  which  impels  the  whole  mass  forward. 

Fashion's  color  was  rich  and  her  coat  was 
naturally  of  the  smoothest  texture.  She  travelled, 
when  at  speed,  with  a  long,  rating  stroke,  from 
which  she  gathered  well  and  with  great  apparent 
ease  to  herself.  While  she  was  an  animal  of  con- 
siderable fire,  it  was  singular  that  she  could  be 
brought  to  her  highest  turn  of  speed  with  a  loose 
rein.  The  modern  system  of  riding,  which  says 
that  a  boy  must  always  have  his  horse's  head 
well  in  hand,  would  have  suited  Fashion  not  at 
all,  and  she  would  have  run  very  unkindly  for 
the  lad  who  should  have  tried  to  "  keep  her 
head  up,"  as  they  say. 

She  early  evinced  this  peculiarity,  and,  as  the 
same  boy  rode  her  in  all  of  her  races,  he  thor- 
oughly understood  what  to  do  with  her  in   the 


IVhen  Boston  met  Fashion  251 

supreme  moments  of  contest  when  the  vital  ques- 
tion was  to  be  asked;  and  it  came  to  be  known 
to  the  sportsmen  of  that  day  that  when  young 
Laird  "  threw  away  his  reins  "  Fashion  might  be 
expected  to  let  out  a  most  astounding  burst 
of  speed. 

This  New  Jersey  horse  was  trained  for  all  her 
engagements  by  Samuel  Laird  of  Colt's  Neck, 
New  Jersey,  and  ridden  by  his  son  Joseph,  who 
was  at  that  day  called  the  best  jockey  in  the 
North.  He  was  the  rival  this  side  the  Potomac 
of  Gil  Patrick,  who  was  the  premier  jockey  south 
of  the  divisional  line. 

Laird  conducted  a  public  stable,  taking  horses 
from  such  owners  as  wished  to  train  their  steeds. 
It  was  a  bit  unfortunate  for  Fashion  that 
at  the  time  of  her  going  into  Laird's  hands 
he  was  also  training  her  half-brother.  Mariner, 
and  a  capital  race-horse,  Clarion ;  so  that,  when 
they  went  to  the  races.  Fashion  was  compelled  to 
take  her  turn  with  these  two  in  meeting  the 
various  candidates,  and  winning  opportunities 
were  lost  to  her  because  the  trainer  would  elect 
to  send  some  other  horse  to  the  post  in  affairs  to 
which  Fashion  was  eligible,  and  which  she  would 
have  won  had  she  been  asked. 


252  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Still,  her  racing  career  was  full  of  many  great 
accomplishments  before  the  royal  event  which 
crowned  her  queen  of  the  turf.  Her  debut  was 
made  on  the  course  at  Camden,  New  Jersey, 
in  a  race  of  two-mile  heats,  for  three-year-olds. 
Although  this  was  her  first  attempt  at  "  showing 
the  way,"  she  was  made  a  favorite  at  odds  and 
won  like  a  trump,  defeating  Amelia  Priestman 
by  Drone.  Colonel  Johnson's  bay  filly  by  Star 
out  of  Sally  Trent,  and  Nanny,  a  bay  filly  by 
imported  Trustee  out  of  Miss  Mattie,  paid  forfeit. 
The  track  was  knee-deep  in  mud,  and  Fashion 
won  in  straight  heats  easily.  That  race  was  run 
on  the  2ist  of  October,  1840. 

On  the  27th  of  the  same  month,  at  Trenton, 
New  Jersey,  in  a  sweepstakes  for  three-year-olds, 
at  two-mile  heats.  Fashion  again  won  in  straight 
heats,  defeating  Fleetfoot,  a  gray  filly  by  imported 
Barefoot  out  of  Dove  by  Duroc.  Nanny  was 
distanced  in  the  first  heat.  Amelia  Priestman 
and  Truxton  by  imported  Barefoot  paid  forfeit. 
Fashion  put  the  issue  of  both  heats  on  a  brush, 
and  won  cleverly.  Fleetfoot  was  at  that  time 
considered  one  of  the  finest  fillies  ever  bred  on 
Long  Island. 

When  the  seasons  had  swung  around  until  the 


PVhen  Boston  met  Fashion  253 

spring  of  1841  had  come,  Fashion  for  the  first 
time  saw  the  Union  Course,  on  Long  Island. 
And  there  she  went  into  the  hands  of  the  starter 
on  May  6,  as  a  four-year-old,  in  the  Jockey  Club 
Purse  of  ^500  for  all  ages,  three-mile  heats.  She 
had  some  quality  to  meet  in  this  contest,  but  on 
a  course  that  was  very  heavy,  deep,  and  stiff 
she  ran  a  capital  race  and  put  to  defeat  the  im- 
ported mare  Sylphide  by  Emilius,  Prospect  by 
Monmouth  Eclipse,  her  former  competitor  Fleet- 
foot,  Meridian  by  imported  Barefoot,  and  Bluff 
by  Gohanna. 

By  this  time  she  was  thoroughly  launched  upon 
her  racing  career,  and  she  had  shown  to  Mr.  Gib- 
bons, to  Laird  her  trainer,  and  to  the  numerous 
friends  whom  she  had  already  won  for  herself 
such  quality  that  they  had  begun  to  suspect  her 
as  possessing  queenly  turf  characteristics. 

From  there  on  her  career  was  an  intensely 
interesting  one.  She  made  her  next  appearance 
a  dozen  days  afterward  at  Camden,  and  began  the 
real  labors  of  her  life.  This  summary  tells  the 
story  of  her  unexpected  defeat :  — 

Camden,  New  Jersey,  Wednesday,  May  19. 
Purse  $300 ;  free  for  all  ages;  carrying  New  York 
weights;  two-mile  heats. 


254  The  American  Thoroiigbhred 

J.  H.  Helling's  b.  c.  Tyler,  by  imp.  Trustee  — 

Kate  Kearney  by  Sir  Archy,  4  yrs.      ...231      i 

S.  Laird's  (Wm.  Gibbons's)  ch.  f.  Fashion  by  imp. 
Trustee  —  Bonnets  o'  Blue  by  Sir  Charles, 
4  yrs 3132 

Col.   Wm.   R.  Johnson's   b.   h.  Telemachus  by 

Eclipse,  dam  by  Virginian,  5  yrs 4     4     2  ro. 

Joseph  H.  Van  Mater's  ch.  h.  Trenton,  by  Eclipse 

Lightfoot,  dam  by  Tuckahoe,  6  yrs.    ...12     dist. 
Time,  4.06;  3.52;  3.51^;  3.56. 

This  was  the  only  race  that  Fashion  had  lost. 
She  had  been  coughing  for  several  days  previous, 
and  though  she  was  the  favorite  before  the  start, 
it  was  the  general  remark  before  half  a  mile  had 
been  run  that  "  Fashion  has  lost  her  action ! " 
Still,  she  won  the  second  heat  and  placed  herself 
second  in  the  fourth. 

Fashion  could  not  start  at  Trenton,  it  not 
being  her  "turn."  Mariner  and  Clarion  carried 
off  the  purses  for  three  and  two  mile  heats ;  no 
four-mile  purse  was  given.  She  made  her  first 
appearance  in  the  fall  at  the  Union  Course, 
where  she  was  obliged  to  go  for  the  two-mile 
purse  or  nothing,  as  Clarion  won  the  four-mile 
and  Mariner  the  three-mile  purse. 

New  York,  Union  Course,  Thursday,  October  7. 
Purse  $200 ;  free  for  all  ages  ;  New  York  weights. 


When  Boston  met  Fashion  255 

5.  Laird's  (Wm.  Gibbons's)  ch.  f.  Fashion  by  imp.  Trus- 

tee —  Bonnets  o'  Blue,  by  Sir  Charles,  4  yrs.    Joe 

Laird i      i 

Joseph  H.  Van  Mater's  ch.  h.  Trenton,  by  EcHpse  Light- 
foot,  dam  by  Tuckahoe,  6  yrs 22 

Time,  3.51 ;  ZASh     Course  heavy. 

This  was  a  remarkably  fast  thing,  considering 
the  state  of  the  course.  Trenton  had  long  been  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  most  formidable  horses  at  the 
North  at  this  distance.  The  betting,  consequently, 
was  heavy.  Fashion  put  the  second  heat  on  a 
brush,  and  won  in  splendid  style  after  a  burst  down 
the  quarter-stretch  at  the  pace  of  a  quarter-horse. 

Baltimore,  Wednesday,  October  20.  Proprie- 
tors' Purse,  $400;  entrance  $25  ;  free  for  all  ages; 
three-year-olds  carrying  86  pounds;  4,  100 ;  5,  1 10 ; 

6,  118;    7  and    upward,   124   pounds;    3  pounds 
allowed  to  mares  and  geldings;  three-mile  heats. 

S.  Laird's  (Wm.  Gibbons's)  ch.  f.  Fashion  by  imp. 

Trustee  —  Bonnets  o'  Blue,  by  Sir  Charles,  4 

yrs.    Joe  Laird 211 

Dr.  Geo.  Goodwyn's  b.  c.  John  Blount  by  Marion 

—  Mary  Blount's  dam  by  Alfred,  4  yrs.    ...122 
James   B.  Kendall's   gr.  m.  Lady  Canton   by  imp. 

Tranby  —  Mary  Randolph  by  Gohanna,  5  yrs.,     dist. 
W.  Collins'  b.  h.  Stockton  by  Eclipse,  dam  by  Sir 

Archy,  aged •    .     .     .     .     dist. 

Time,  5.57  ;  6.01  ;  6.10.     Track  very  heavy. 


256  The  American  Thorongbhred 

This  was  one  of  the  most  extraordinaiy  races 
of  the  season,  and  contributed  more  to  Fashion's 
reputation  than  all  her  previous  performances 
combined.  John  Blount,  in  his  three-year-old 
form,  as  in  his  fourth  year,  had  been  regarded 
as  the  best  colt  in  Virginia,  and  he  came  to 
Baltimore,  after  beating  Tyler  easily  in  a  match 
for  $5000  at  Petersburg.  Tyler  was  the  only 
competitor  who  had  come  off  victorious  in  a  con- 
flict with  Fashion,  and  then  when  she  was  amiss. 
The  latter,  in  beating  Blount  twice,  at  a  longer 
distance,  fully  cancelled  her  debt  to  Tyler. 

On  the  entries  being  announced,  John  Blount 
was  immediately  made  favorite  vs.  the  field ;  in 
the  evening  he  became  so  at  odds  of  four  to  three; 
in  the  morning  he  advanced  to  two  to  one,  and  be- 
fore the  start  one  hundred  to  thirty-five  was  freely 
offered.  Fashion  had  but  few  friends,  but  those 
few,  "  old  and  tried,"  "  shelled  out  their  coin  "  to 
great  advantage ;  rumor  with  its  thousand  tongues 
had  placed  John  Blount  second  to  Boston  only, 
and  this  but  made  the  timid  more  fearful. 

In  the  first  heat  Stockton  led  off  at  a  rapid 
pace,  with  Blount  and  Lady  Canton  well  up,  and 
Fashion,  hard  in  hand,  in  the  rear  of  all.  They 
kept    these   positions    till    near   the    end    of    the 


IVben  Boston  met  Fashion  257 

second  mile,  when  on  passing  the  stand  Fashion 
changed  places  with  Lady  Canton,  and  in  the 
last  three-quarter  mile,  finding  Stockton  falling 
off  and  Blount  winning  too  easy,  she  made  up  a 
gap  of  forty  yards,  and  brushed  with  him  down 
the  quarter-stretch;  Blount  shook  her  off,  and 
finally  won  by  a  length.  Lady  Canton's  saddle 
slipped  in  the  first  mile.  She  and  Stockton,  who 
could  not  run  in  the  mud,  were  distanced. 

Second  heat.  They  both  cooled  off  well. 
Fashion,  now  the  "  fielders' "  only  stay,  was 
scrutinized  again  and  again,  and  pronounced 
faultless;  in  the  betting  she  advanced  a  point, 
they  relying  on  her  undoubted  gameness. 

Never  was  there  a  more  even  race ;  from  the 
word  "  Go  "  they  were  locked,  a  la  Siamese  twins, 
the  whole  three  miles,  no  one  being  able  for 
one  second  to  see  daylight  between  the  two 
jockeys.  In  any  part  of  this  heat  a  blanket 
would  have  covered  both  horses  till  they  came 
inside  of  the  distance  stand,  where  Fashion 
gradually  cleared  herself.  When  within  four 
jumps  of  the  stand  John  Farrell  attempted  to 
steal  a  march  on  Fashion,  but  Joe  Laird,  ever 
wakeful,  was  not  caught  napping  this  time,  but 
brought  the  filly  home  a  gallant  winner  by  a  neck. 


258  The  American  Tborougbhred 

Third  heat.  John  Cheatham,  colored  boy, 
now  took  the  place  of  John  Farrell  on  Blount, 
Farrell  being  two  pounds  over  weight.  For  the 
first  two  miles  this  heat  was  but  a  repetition  of 
the  last.  Within  the  draw-gates  on  the  second 
mile  Blount  suddenly  fell  off,  giving  up  the  con- 
test. Fashion  won  the  heat  and  race  at  her  ease 
by  thirty  yards.  Immense  sums  of  money  were 
lost  on  Blount.  You  may  rely  upon  it,  Virginia 
"fell  heavy." 

We  now  come  to  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
performances  ever  made  up  to  that  time  by  a 
four-year-old  filly:  — 

Camden,  New  Jersey,  Thursday,  October  28. 
Jockey  Club  Purse,  $800;  free  for  all  ages; 
carrying  New  York  weights;  four-mile  heats. 

S.  Laird's  (Wm.  Gibbons's)  ch.  f.  Fashion,  by  imp. 
Trustee  —  Bonnets  o'  Blue,  by  Sir  Charles,  4 
yrs.    Joe  Laird 211 

Dr.  Geo.  Goodvvyn's  (Dr.  Thos.  Payne's)  b.  c.  John 
Blount  by  Marion,  out  of  Mary  Blount's  dam 
by  Alfred,  4  yrs i     2     dr. 

Col.  Wm.  R.  Johnson's  (Jas.  Long's)  ch.  h.  Boston 
by  Timoleon,  out  of  Robin  Brown's  dam  by 

Ball's  Florizel dist. 

Time,  7.42 ;  7.48. 


kVhen  Boston  met  Fashion  259 

The  Race 

Blount  led  off,  with  Fashion  well  up,  while 
Boston  laid  about  thirty  yards  in  the  rear. 
The  pace  was  very  moderate  throughout  the 
first  mile,  notwithstanding  which  Boston  was  a 
long  way  in  the  rear,  appearing  to  have  lost  his 
action.  After  the  start  took  place,  Mr.  Long 
offered  $1000  to  $400  on  him;  but  when  the 
horses  got  into  straight  work  on  the  back  side, 
so  that  the  action  of  each  could  be  seen,  Mr. 
Long  withdrew  his  offer,  which,  fortunately  for 
him,  had  not  been  taken  up.  The  first  mile  was 
run  in  2.00. 

In  the  second  the  pace  improved.  Fashion 
going  up  nearer  to  Blount,  though  Joe  Laird, 
her  jockey,  had  express  orders  not  to  run  for 
the  heat;  this  mile  was  run  in  1.53!^.  From 
the  start,  Boston  had  thus  far  been  falling  in  the 
rear,  though  incessantly  plied  with  the  rawhide. 
The  pace  during  the  whole  third  mile  was  tre- 
mendous; it  was  run  in  1.48!  When  Fashion 
came  opposite  the  half-mile  post  (w^iile  running 
the  third  mile)  Mr.  Laird,  seeing  that  Boston 
was  in  difficulty,  ordered  Joe  (on  Fashion)  to  "  go 
on  and  shut  out  Boston." 


26o  Tbe  American  Thoroughhred 

Up  to  this  time  the  filly  had  not  been  called 
upon ;  she  pressed  Blount  all  the  way  without 
intending  to  pass  him,  unless  he  came  back. 
Blount  maintained  his  lead  to  the  end,  and  won 
by  three  lengths,  as  Fashion  was  pulled  up 
inside  of  the  distance  stand.  Boston,  nowhere ! 
The  fourth  mile  was  run  in  2.00^,  making  the 
time  of  the  first  three  miles  5.41  J,  and  of  the 
heat,  7.42. 

Many  of  Boston's  friends  maintained  that  he 
could  not,  on  this  occasion,  run  a  mile  under 
2.10,  while  others  contended  that  in  the  third 
mile  (run  in  1.48),  when  Fashion  and  Blount 
were  going  at  their  best  pace,  Boston  made  up 
a  gap  of  sixty  yards  in  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  We 
cannot  reconcile  the  various  statements. 

The  spectators  were  astounded.  Boston  was 
not  only  out  of  his  distance,  but  he  did  not  get 
within  the  draw-gate.  Many  persons  on  the 
ground  fully  believed  that,  had  Fashion  pressed 
Blount  throughout  the  fourth  mile  as  she  did  on 
the  third,  the  heat  would  have  been  run  "  down  in 
the  thirties."  The  Camden,  a  clay  course,  was 
not  so  fast  by  a  second  or  more  in  a  mile  as  the 
Union  Course. 

Both  horses  cooled  off  well,  and  the  backers 


H^ben  Boston  met  Fashion  261 

of  each  were  sanguine.  A  second  edition  of  the 
bruising  heat  between  the  same  horses  at  Balti- 
more, when  they  ran  neck  and  neck  for  near 
three  miles,  was  anticipated.  The  "sufferers" 
by  the  result  of  the  first  heat  now  endeavored 
to  get  out  by  "  piling  it  up  "  on  the  second,  while 
the  winners  sought  to  double  their  money.  The 
Northern  men  generally  stuck  to  the  Jersey  filly 
like  "  bricks,"  and  no  mistake,  as  did  an  occa- 
sional Southern  man,  who  recollected  her  dam. 
One  of  the  latter  was  the  largest  winner  on  the 
ground.  The  Old  Dominion  was  "thar,"  how- 
ever, and  hundreds  "spread  themselves"  to  the 
size  of  their  pile. 

Second  heat.  Joe  Laird,  on  Fashion,  made 
play  from  the  score,  determined  to  take  the  lead 
and  keep  it  —  if  he  could.  She  soon  opened  a 
gap  of  three  lengths.  Near  the  close  of  the 
mile  Blount  drew  upon  her,  but  could  only  reach 
her  saddle  girth.  This  mile  was  run  in  1.59. 
Farrell,  on  Blount,  now  set  to  work,  and  kept 
him  up  to  the  top  of  his  rate  throughout  the 
whole  second  mile.  The  pace  was  tremendous 
and  the  interest  thrilling  beyond  description,  as 
will  be  imagined  when  we  state  that  this  mile 
was    run  in   147.     Still,  Blount  was    never  able 


262  The  American  Thoroughbred 

to  lock  her,  neck  and  neck,  though  he  lapped 
her  the  entire  mile.  She  evidently  had  too 
much  speed  for  him,  while  at  the  same  time  she 
could  outlast  him. 

In  the  third  mile,  after  being  relieved  by  a 
bracing  pull,  Blount  made  a  spirited  challenge 
going  down  the  back-stretch,  but  Joe  called  on 
the  nonpareil  under  him,  and  quickly  shook  him 
off.  Farrell  once  more  bottled  him  up,  and  near 
the  end  of  the  mile  he  made  another  rally,  alike 
unavailing.  Fashion  now  appeared  to  have  the 
race  in  hand ;  she  led  by  three  lengths  for  more 
than  half  of  the  fourth  mile,  but  on  entering  the 
head  of  the  last  quarter-stretch,  Blount  made  a 
final  and  desperate  effort;  after  a  few  strides, 
however,  he  suddenly  and  most  unaccountably 
gave  back,  and  Fashion  won  at  her  ease  by 
three  lengths,  running  this  heat  in  7.48 ! 

On  pulling  up,  John  Blount  was  found  to  be 
excessively  lame,  and  it  was  soon  discovered 
that  he  had  given  way  in  his  last  gallant  effort 
to  retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  day. 

Immediately  after  the  race  the  match  offered 
by  the  owners  of  Boston  to  the  friends  of  Fashion 
was  accepted.  In  the  meantime  she  was  turned 
out.    A  correspondent  ("  Senex  ")  of  the  Spirit  of 


IV hen  Boston  met  Fashion  263 

the  Times,  in  a  very  interesting  communication 
upon  the  subject  of  the  ancestry,  etc.,  of  Boston 
and  Fashion,  alludes  to  a  somewhat  singular 
coincidence  that  Fashion,  "the  nonpareil  of  the 
North,"  should  be  the  produce  of  a  Virginia- 
bred  mare,  as  the  first  Northern  champion. 
Eclipse,  was  the  get  of  a  Virginia-bred  horse. 

He  adds  that  "  although  in  starting,  in  three 
trainings,  seven  times,  and  winning  six  races,  one 
at  four  and  two  at  three  mile  heats,  she  has 
proven  herself  superior  in  the  race  to  all  but 
one  competitor,  Tyler  (but  was  beaten  by  him 
in  four  heats,  when  she  w^as  clearly  out  of  con- 
dition), yet  she  has  been  beaten  twice,  the  first 
heat  by  John  Blount,  that  had  triumphed  over 
her  only  victor  in  a  match.  She  has  acquired 
more  celebrity  than  Boston  or  Eclipse  at  her 
age,  and  has  already  won  nearly  as  many  races 
as  the  latter. 

"  When  the  Camden  and  Union  courses  are 
compared,  as  applicable  for  speed,  her  last  per- 
formance fully  equals,  if  it  does  not  surpass. 
Eclipse's  vaunted  achievement,  —  two  consecu- 
tive heats,  either  of  them  the  best  on  the  course, 
in  7.42  and  7.48,  the  latter  one  second  better 
than  any  second  heat  that  had  been  run  by  either 


264  The  American  Tborougbbred 

Boston  or  Eclipse.  It  was  certainly  a  splendid 
race,  one  of  the  best  run  in  America,  and  faster 
than  any  two  heats  run  by  Boston." 

And  now  comes  a  description  of  that  match 
contest,  the  North  vs.  the  South,  which  is  so 
much  a  part  of  our  turf  history  that  it  cannot  be 
overlooked  in  this  connection. 

It  was  on  a  May  day  in  1842.  Fashion  was 
pronounced  by  all  judges  to  be  fit  as  a  mare 
could  be.  Boston,  according  to  his  trainer, 
needed  a  little  more  seasoning  to  run  such  a 
bruising  race  as  was  expected  of  him.  Notwith- 
standing Taylor's  uneasiness,  the  Boston  people 
were  full  of  confidence.  Boston's  running  was 
directed  by  Colonel  Johnson.  Gil  Patrick,  his 
usual  jockey,  was  in  the  saddle.  Fashion  was 
mounted  by  Joe  Laird,  son  of  the  trainer. 

The  Race 

'"'First  heat.  Boston,  on  the  inside,  went  away 
with  the  lead  at  a  rattling  pace,  the  mare  lying 
up  within  two  lengths  of  him,  down  the  straight 
run  on  the  back-stretch ;  the  half-mile  was  run  in 
55  seconds.  The  same  position  was  maintained 
to  the  end   of  the  mile  (run   in  1.53),  but  soon 


IVben  Boston  met  Fashion  265 

after  Fashion  made  play,  and  the  pace  improved. 
Both  made  strong  running  down  the  back-stretch, 
over  the  hill  (opposite  the  half-mile  post),  and 
down  the  slight  descent  which  succeeds,  and 
though  this  seemed  favorable  ground  for  Boston, 
the  mare  gained  on  him  at  this  place,  in  this 
mile,  and  placed  herself  well  up.  Boston  threw 
her  off  on  the  turn,  and  led  through  clear,  run- 
ning this  mile  in  1.50J. 

"  The  pace  seemed  too  good  to  last,  and  Boston's 
friends,  as  he  led  cleverly  down  the  back-stretch, 
were  '  snatching  and  eager '  to  take  anything 
offered.  Again  Boston  led  through,  this  mile 
(the  third)  being  run  in  1.54,  Fashion  keeping 
him  up  to  the  top  of  his  rate.  The  contest  was 
beautiful  and  exciting  beyond  description ;  there 
was  no  clambering,  no  faltering,  no  dwelling,  on 
the  part  of  either;  each  ran  with  a  long,  rating 
stroke,  and  at  a  pace  that  kills.  Soon  after  com- 
mencing the  fourth  mile,  Joe  Laird  shook  his 
whip  over  her  head  and  gave  Fashion  an  eye- 
opener  or  two  with  the  spur,  and  not  a  hundred 
yards  from  that  ground  where  Boston  took  the 
track  from  Charles  Carter,  she  collared  and  passed 
him  in  half  a  dozen  strokes,  at  a  flight  of  speed 
we  never  saw  equalled  except  in   the   desperate 


266  The  American  Thoroughbred 

brush  at  the  stand  between  Gray  Medoc  and 
Altorf,  in  their  dead  heat. 

"  When  Fashion  responded  to  the  call  upon  her 
and  took  the  track  in  such  splendid  style,  the 
cheers  sent  up  from  the  'rude  throats'  of  thou- 
sands might  have  been  heard  for  miles.  Fashion 
made  her  challenge  after  getting  through  the 
draw-gate  and  took  the  lead  opposite  the  quarter- 
mile  post.  Boston,  however,  like  a  trump,  did 
not  give  back  an  inch,  and  though  it  was  mani- 
fest the  Northern  Phenomenon  had  the  foot  of 
him,  he  gave  her  no  respite.  He  lapped  her 
down  the  back-stretch  for  three  hundred  yards, 
when  Gil  Patrick  very  sensibly  took  a  strong, 
bracing  pull  on  him,  and  bottled  him  up  for  a 
desperate  brush  up  the  hill,  where  Eclipse  passed 
Henry. 

"  Here  Gil  again  let  him  out,  but  unfortu- 
nately pulled  him  inside  so  near  the  fence  that 
Boston  struck  his  hip  against  a  post,  and,  hitting 
a  sharp  knot  or  a  nail,  cut  through  the  skin 
on  his  quarter  for  seven  or  eight  inches.  He 
struck  hard  enough  to  jar  himself  very  much, 
and  he  was  observed  to  falter;  but  he  soon  re- 
covered and  though  at  this  moment  Fashion  led 
him  nearly  three  lengths,  he  gradually  closed  the 


iVben  Boston  met  Fashion  267 

gap  round  the  turn  to  within  a  few  feet.  At  this 
moment  the  excited  multitude  broke  through  all 
restraint  in  their  anxiety  to  witness  the  termi- 
nation of  the  heat,  and  the  course  was  nearly 
blocked  up. 

"  On  coming  out  through  a  narrow  gantlet  of 
thousands  of  spectators,  excited  to  the  highest 
pitch,  both  horses  very  naturally  faltered  at  the 
tremendous  shouts  which  made  the  welkin  ring. 
Up  the  quarter-stretch  Gil  made  another  desper- 
ate effort  to  win  the  race  out  of  the  fire.  He  ap- 
plied his  thong  freely,  while  Joe  Laird  drew  his 
whip  on  the  mare  more  than  once,  and  'tapped 
her  claret '  at  the  same  time. 

"Inside  of  the  gate  it  was  'a  hollow  thing,' 
though  Boston  nearly  closed  the  gap  at  the  dis- 
tance stand,  as  Gil  fairly  caught  Joe  by  surprise ; 
but  at  this  critical  moment  a  friend  of  Fashion 
shouted  to  Joe  to  '  Rouse  up  the  mare !  Boston's 
on  you  ! '  when  he  gave  her  the  spur  and  a  severe 
cut  with  his  thong.  True  as  steel,  Fashion  re- 
sponded to  the  call.  She  instantly  recovered  her 
stride  and  came  in  about  a  length  ahead,  with 
apparently  something  in  hand  to  spare,  closing 
the  heat  in  7.32J,  the  fastest,  by  all  odds,  ever  run 
in  America. 


268  The  American  Thoroughbred 

"  The  time  was  kept  on  the  Jockey  Club  stand 
by  Messrs.  Robert  L.  and  James  Stevens,  and  in 
the  judges'  stand  by  Senator  Barrow  of  Louisi- 
ana, Hon.  Mr.  Botts  of  Virginia,  and  J.  Hamil- 
ton Wilkes,  Esq.,  the  official  timers  and  judges 
of  the  race.  We  took  the  time  of  each  mile  from 
the  Messrs.  Stevens,  between  whom  we  stood. 
Mr.  S.  M.  Neill,  Major  Ringgold,  U.S.A.,  and 
other  gentlemen  of  acknowledged  accuracy  as 
timers  stood  in  the  same  circle,  and  there  was  but 
a  fraction  of  difference  in  the  time  each  declared. 
Messrs.  Stevens  made  the  time  7.33,  but  as  they 
kept  the  time  of  the  half,  and  in  some  cases  of  the 
quarter,  miles,  their  difference  of  but  half  a  second 
from  the  timers  in  the  judges'  stand  demonstrates 
the  remarkable  accuracy  of  the  parties. 

"  Both  horses  cooled  out  well.  Boston  always 
blows  tremendously,  even  after  a  gallop,  but  he 
seemed  little  distressed.  Neither  was  Fashion ; 
her  action  is  superb,  and  as  she  came  through 
on  the  fourth  mile,  it  was  remarked  that  she  was 
playing  her  ears  as  if  taking  exercise.  She  recov- 
ered sooner  than  Boston,  and  though  her  friends 
now  offered  large  odds  on  her,  Boston's  were 
no  less  confident;  the  seventh  mile,  they  thought, 
would  'fetch  her.' 


I4^hen  Boston  met  Fashion  269 

"  We  should  not  have  been  surprised  to  have  seen 
both  swell  over  the  loins,  nor  to  have  found  them 
greatly  distressed.  We  examined  them  carefully 
after  the  heat,  and  state  with  great  pleasure  that 
though  they  '  blowed  strong '  they  recovered  in  a 
few  minutes,  and  came  to  the  post  again  com- 
paratively fresh. 

"  After  the  heat  was  over,  the  crowd  rushed  into 
the  enclosed  space,  en  masse;  an  endeavor  was 
made  to  clear  a  portion  of  the  track  of  the  multi- 
tude who  had  taken  possession  of  it,  and  after 
great  exertions  a  line  was  formed,  through  which 
the  horses  came  up  for  the  second  heat. 

"  Second  heat.  Fashion  led  off  with  a  moderate 
stroke,  and  carried  on  the  running  down  the  back- 
stretch  with  a  lead  of  about  three  lengths.  After 
making  the  ascent  of  the  hill,  Boston  challenged, 
closed  the  gap,  and  lapped  her.  A  tremendous 
shout  arose  on  all  hands  at  this  rally,  and  as  it 
subsided  on  the  part  of  Boston's  friends  it  was 
again  more  tumultuously  caught  up  by  the  friends 
of  the  mare,  as  she  outfooted  him  before  reaching 
the  head  of  the  quarter-stretch.  She  came  through 
(in  1.59)  three  or  four  lengths  ahead,  and  kept  up 
her  rate  down  the  entire  straight  stretch  on  the 
rear  of  the  course. 


270  The  American  Thoroughbred 

"  After  getting  over  the  hill,  Boston,  as  before, 
made  a  rush,  and  succeeded  in  collaring  the  mare, 
while  she,  as  before,  again  threw  him  off,  and  led 
through  by  two  or  three  lengths  in  1.57.  Gil 
relieved  his  horse  for  the  next  six  hundred  yards, 
but,  instead  of  waiting  for  Fashion  to  ascend  the 
hill  at  the  half-mile  post  alone,  he  called  on  Boston 
just  before  reaching  it,  and  the  two  went  over  it 
nearly  together ;  no  sooner  had  they  commenced 
the  descending  ground  than,  gathering  all  his 
energies  for  a  final  and  desperate  effort,  Boston 
made  a  dash,  and  this  time  he  succeeded  in  tak- 
ing the  track ! 

"  The  scene  which  ensued  we  have  no  words  to 
describe.  Such  cheering,  such  betting,  and  so 
many  long  faces  were  never  seen  nor  heard 
before. 

After  being  compelled  to  give  up  the  track, 
Joe  Laird,  with  the  utmost  prudence  and  good 
sense,  took  his  mare  in  hand,  and  gave  her  time 
to  recover  her  wind.  This  run  took  the  shine  out 
of  Boston.  Instead  of  pulling  him  steadily  and 
refreshing  him  with  a  slight  respite,  Gil  Patrick 
kept  him  at  his  work  after  he  took  the  track,  and 
ran  this  mile  (the  third)  in  1.5 1|^.  The  pace  was 
tremendous.     Nothing   short    of   limbs    of    steel 


When  Boston  met  Fashion  271 

and  sinews  of  catgut  could  stand  up  under  such 
a  press. 

"  On  the  first  turn  after  passing  the  stand,  Fash- 
ion, now  fresh  again,  rallied,  and  as  Boston  had 
not  another  run  left  in  him,  she  cut  him  down  in 
her  stride  opposite  the  quarter-mile  post,  and  the 
thing  was  out.  The  race,  so  far  as  Boston  was 
concerned,  was  past  praying  for.  If  anything 
can  parallel  Fashion's  turn  of  speed,  it  is  her  in- 
vincible gameness.  She  now  gradually  dropped 
him,  and  without  another  effort  on  his  part  to 
retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  day  she  came  home 
a  gallant  winner  in  7.45.  Boston  pulled  up  inside 
of  the  distance  stand  and  walked  in. 

"  As  she  came  under  the  judges'  cord  extended 
across  the  course,  Boston  was  exactly  sixty  yards 
behind,  though  he  could  have  placed  himself  in  a 
better  position  had  Gil  called  upon  him.  As  Joe 
Laird  rode  Fashion  back  to  the  stand  the  shouts 
were  so  deafening  that,  had  not  the  president  of 
the  club  and  another  gentleman  held  on  to  her 
bridle  she  would  have  not  only  'enlarged  the 
circle  of  her  acquaintance '  very  speedily,  but 
'  made  a  mash '  of  some  dozen  of  '  the  rank  and 
file '  then  and  there  assembled.  She  looked  as 
if  another  heat  would  not  '  set  her  back '  any." 


2  72  The  American  Tborougbhred 

Recapitulation 

Tuesday,  May  lo,  1842.  Match,  The  North 
vs.  The  South  ;  ^20,000  a  side,  $5,000  forfeit ; 
four-mile  heats. 

Henry  K.  Toler's  (William  Gibbons's)  ch.  m.  Fashion, 
by  imp.  Trustee,  out  of  Bonnets  o'  Blue  (Mariner's 
dam),  by  Sir  Charles;  5  years;  iii  lbs.  Joseph 
Laird i      i 

Col.  Wm.  R.  Johnson's  and  James  Long's  ch.  h.  Boston, 
by  Timoleon,  out  of  Robin  Brown's  dam,  by  Ball's 
Florizel;    gyrs;    126  lbs.     Gil  Patrick  ....     2     2 

First  Heat 

Time  of  first  mile 1.53 

Time  of  second  mile    ....  1.50^ 

Time  of  third  mile 1.54 

Time  of  fourth  mile      .     .     .     .  1.55 

Time  of  first  heat    ....  7.32^ 
Second  Heat 

Time  of  first  mile 1.59 

Time  of  second  mile    .     .     .     .  1.57 

Time  of  third  mile i-S^i 

Time  of  fourth  mile      .     .     .     .  i.57| 

Time  of  second  heat    .     .     .  7.45 

Though  beaten,  it  was  conceded  by  the  judges 
that  Boston  had  acquired  a  "more  vast  renown 
by  this  splendid  performance  than  by  his  thirty- 


IV hen  Boston  met  Fashion  273 

five  previous  victories  combined.  All  that  can 
be  said  is  that  Boston  has  beaten  himself,  and 
Fashion  has  beaten  Boston  !  " 

The  spirit  of  his  owners  on  this,  as  upon  former 
public  occasions  when  they  had  met  with  great 
disappointment,  was  worthy  of  them  and  of  the 
Old  Dominion.  Of  one  of  them,  Colonel  John- 
son, it  has  been  well  said  that,  "like  another 
Napoleon,  he  was  never  more  to  be  feared  than 
in  his  reverses !  " 


CHAPTER   XIV 

WHEN    boston's    BEST    SONS    MET 

Like  many  others  of  the  great  mares  of  the 
turf,  Fashion,  although  given  good  opportunities, 
utterly  failed  to  distinguish  herself  as  a  produc- 
ing animal,  and  she  is  now  remembered  only  as 
the  mare  that  could  beat  Boston. 

Boston,  on  the  contrary,  left  a  heritage  of  blood 
which  is  still  a  compelling  and  conquering  line 
upon  the  American  turf.  After  he  was  retired  to 
the  stud  he  begot  sons  and  daughters  that  ran 
the  greatest  races  of  their  day,  as  he  ran  the 
greatest  of  his  day.  Remarkable  as  Sir  Archy 
was  as  a  sire,  Boston,  his  grandson,  was  perhaps 
more  remarkable.  The  honor  was  given  to  him 
of  having  two  of  his  sons  face  each  other  in 
a  series  of  contests  which  are  among  the  most 
splendid  parts  of  the  history  of  the  turf  of  this 
land.  Those  were  the  races  which  were  run  be- 
tween Lexington  and  Lecompte,  over  the  famous 
Metairie  Course  at  New  Orleans.  Quite  a  rac- 
274 


When  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         275 

ing  community  had  been  built  up  about  the  old 
Southern  city. 

On  a  plantation  on  Red  River,  Lecompte  was 
owned  by  Thomas  D.  Wells.  Lecompte  was  sired 
by  Boston  out  of  Reel  by  imported  Glencoe. 
Lexington  was  sired  by  Boston  out  of  Alice  Car- 
neal  by  imported  Sarpedon.  In  1854  these  two 
horses  were  so  far  and  away  the  best  animals  in 
training  in  America  that  their  coming  together 
in  contest  at  New  Orleans  was  an  event  of  na- 
tional importance  and  which  horsemen  still  living 
discuss  with  fervor.  Lecompte  was  a  chestnut 
and  Lexington  a  bay.  Lecompte  had  done  all  of 
his  racing  in  Mississippi  and  Louisiana.  Lexing- 
ton had  shown  his  form  in  Kentucky,  It  was 
conceded  that  in  the  North  there  was  no  horse  fit 
to  meet  Lexington,  and  that  in  the  extreme  South 
there  was  none  with  the  capacity  to  give  Lecompte 
a  race. 

So  when,  on  an  April  day  in  1854,  the  two  sons 
of  "  Old  White-nose "  met  at  four-mile  heats,  in 
the  Great  State  Post  Stakes,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
the  city  of  New  Orleans  was  packed  to  its  enter- 
taining capacity  by  the  crowds  that  had  come 
from  the  most  remote  parts  of  the  United  States 
to  see  this  duel. 


276  The  American  Tborougbhred 

This  Post  Stakes  was  a  sort  of  an  inter- 
state race,  and  was  the  reason  for  the  bringing 
of  Lexington  from  Kentucky  to  meet  Lecompte 
of  Louisiana,  Highlander  from  Alabama,  and 
Arrow,  also  from  Louisiana. 

The  condition  of  the  course  was  such  as 
to  render  this  a  most  disappointing  contest  to 
everybody,  except,  of  course,  the  backers  of  Lex- 
ington. Lexington  won  the  race  in  straight 
heats.  The  belief  in  Lecompte,  however,  was 
unshaken,  and,  as  a  result  of  the  Post  Stakes, 
a  match  was  proposed  and  accepted  to  be  run 
between  Lexington  and  Lecompte  on  the  eighth 
day  of  April.  On  that  afternoon  there  was  to 
be  run  a  jockey  club  purse  of  ^2000.  Lexington 
and  Lecompte  were  both  regularly  entered  in 
it,  but  so  far  as  practical  purposes  were  con- 
cerned it  was  a  match,  since  nothing  else 
started  in  it  except  the  two  sons  of  Boston  and 
a  horse  called  Reube  by  imported  Trustee.  The 
conditions  of  the  race  required  three  starters, 
and  Reube  was  merely  tossed  in  to  fulfil  the 
requirements. 

Great  as  had  been  the  interest  in  the  meeting 
between  these  two  horses,  it  was  intensified  when 
it  was  known  that  they  were  to  come  together 


PVben  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         277 

for  a  practical  trial  against  each  other.  The 
New  Orleans  Times-Democrat  said  that,  "in  all 
its  incidents,  from  the  start  to  the  victory,  it 
would  always  be  remembered  as  preeminently  the 
greatest  four-mile  heat  race  on  record." 

"  The  betting  was  extremely  heavy.  Before 
leaving  the  city  Lexington  was  the  favorite  at 
even  money  against  the  field,  but  a  few  minutes 
before  the  race  we  witnessed  some  transactions 
in  which  Lexington  was  backed  at  one  hundred 
to  eighty  against  the  field  and  one  hundred  to 
sixty  against  Lecompte.  Much  money  was 
risked  on  time,  but  the  lowest  time  that  we 
could  hear   of  being  marked  was  7.32. 

"  So  far  as  we  could  judge,  the  horses  all 
appeared  to  be  in  excellent  condition  and  eager 
for  the  fray,  as  they  moved  to  and  fro  before 
the  stands,  to  the  admiration  of  the  anxious 
thousands. 

"  The  drum  taps  and  the  horses  dash  off  with  a 
rush  for  the  first  heat,  and  on  passing  the  first 
turn  Lecompte  leads,  Lexington  being  second, 
and  Reube  trailing  behind,  but  at  as  fast  a  gait 
and  as  bold  a  stride  as  he  could  well  accomplish. 
Their  position  did  not  vary  for  nearly  three  miles, 
although  the  pace  increased,  the  space  between 


278  The  American  Thoroughbred 

the  horses  at  times  increasing  and  diminishing, 
Lexington  several  times  making  a  brush  to  take 
the  lead,  but  Lecompte  increasing  his  speed  to 
prevent  it.  On  entering  the  fourth  mile,  and 
on  the  back-stretch  of  it,  Lexington  partially 
closed  the  gap  that  Lecompte  had  opened  on 
him  and  attempted  to  outfoot  him.  The  attempt 
was  immense  and  elicited  the  loudest  encomiums 
of  Lexington's  friends  and  backers,  but  it  was 
ineffectual. 

"  The  spur  was  freely  used  to  induce  him  to  do 
what  his  friends  claimed  for  him  —  that  he  was 
the  fastest  horse  in  the  world  at  a  brush ;  but 
Lecompte  baffled  all  his  efforts,  kept  the  lead, 
and  won  the  heat,  amid  deafening  shouts,  by 
six  lengths,  in  much  the  quickest  time  ever  made 
in  the  world  —  7.26! 

"  If  the  result  of  the  heat  induced  great  shouting, 
the  announcement  of  the  time  produced  still  more 
clamorous  exclamations  of  delight.  All  knew 
that  the  heat  was  very  fast,  but  each  one  of  the 
hundred  persons  could  scarce  believe  their  own 
time  until  the  judges  announced  it  officially. 

"  During  the  great  excitement,  which  was  con- 
centrated on  the  two  contesting  horses,  Reube 
had    almost    been  lost    sight    of;    but    he    came 


iVhen  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         279 

home  at  a  high  rate  of  speed,  making  the  best 
heat  by  far  that  he  had  ever  made  in  his  Hfe, 
although  as  the  red  flag  descended  he  barely 
escaped  being  caught  behind  it. 

"  Lexington  soon  after  the  heat  appeared  much 
distressed,  but  he  recovered  during  the  recess. 
Reube,  also,  after  the  heat  showed  evident  symp- 
toms that  he  had  been  running  a  harder  race 
than  he  liked.  Lecompte,  who,  to  all  appear- 
ances, had  run  much  more  at  his  ease  and  with 
less  effort  than  his  competitors,  not  having  been 
spurred  during  the  heat,  was  but  little  distressed, 
considering  the  great  time  and  the  heat  of  the 
day. 

"  The  betting  was  changed  about  immediately, 
not  less  from  the  result  of  the  previous  heat  than 
from  the  great  apparent  exertion  that  Lexington 
had  made  while  running,  and  the  aspect  and  con- 
dition of  the  horses  after  the  heat.  Reube's 
chance  was  considered  hopeless  with  two  such 
competitors  against  him.  Most  of  the  bets  now 
made  were  for  the  purpose  of  hedging,  and 
Lecompte  was  the  favorite  at  one  hundred  to 
forty  against  the  field. 

"  Each  horse  came  up  for  the  second  heat  with 
crest    erect,  and   with   a   defiant   demeanor   cast 


28o  The  American  Tborougbhred 

proud  glances  from  fierce  eyes,  determined,  ap- 
parently, to  win  or  die.  Lexington  this  time 
led  the  way  from  the  score  for  nearly  two  miles 
by  about  two  lengths,  when  on  coming  down  the 
stretch  and  passing  the  stands  to  enter  on  the 
third  mile,  Lecompte,  who  had  been  bottled  up, 
commenced  his  great  brush,  overhauled  Lexing- 
ton, and  passed  him. 

"  Both  now  did  their  best,  and  the  third  mile 
was  a  constant  strife  throughout  for  the  lead, 
and  the  quickest  in  the  race,  being  run  in  1.46; 
but  Lecompte,  although  so  hard  pushed,  never 
wavered,  but  ran  evenly  and  steadily  along  about 
two  lengths  ahead. 

"  On  the  first  turn  of  the  fourth  mile,  Lexington, 
who  at  that  point  was  nearly  up  to  his  rival,  for  a 
moment  gave  back  and  lost  his  stride ;  but  he  at 
once  recovered  it  and  pushed  on  with  vigor,  but 
with  evidently  great  effort.  All  was  of  no  use, 
for  Lecompte  came  home  a  winner  by  four 
lengths  in  the  astonishing  time  of  7.38I,  dis- 
tancing Reube. 

"  For  more  than  twenty  years  the  race  of  Eclipse 
and  Henry  over  the  Union  Course,  Long  Island, 
on  May  27,  1823,  was  the  quickest  on  record. 
The   shortest   heat   in  that  race  was  7.37^.     In 


IVben  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         281 

Fashion's  race  with  Boston,  over  the  Union 
Course,  Long  Island,  May  10,  1842,  the  time 
was  7.32|-,  7.45.  George  Martin's  fast  race  was 
run  in  this  city  on  March  29,  1843,  and  the  time 
was  7.33,  7.43.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  as 
Lecompte  is  by  Boston  out  of  Reel,  that  his 
sire  should  have  won  in  the  quickest  race  of 
Fashion,  and  his  dam  Reel  should,  on  Decem- 
ber II,  1 84 1,  have  won  a  race  in  this  city,  the 
time  of  which  was  7.40,  7.43." 

Summary 

New    Orleans,    April    8,    1854.      Jockey    Club 
Purse,  $2000,  for  all  ages ;  four-mile  heats. 

T.  G.  Wells'  ch.  c.  Lecompte,  by  Boston,  out  of  Reel, 

by  imp.  Glencoe ;  3  yrs.  (3  lbs.  overweight),  Abe,     i     i 

A.  L.  Bingaman's  b.  c.  Lexington,  by  Boston,  out  of 

Alice  Carneal,  by  imp.  Sarpedon  ;  4  yrs.,  Meichon,     2     2 

Judge  Hunter's  ch.  g.  Reube,  by  imp.  Trustee,  out  of 

Minstrel,  by  Modoc  ;  aged  ;  /.  Ford     ....     3  dist. 

First  Heat 

Time  of  first  mile 1.53 

Time  of  second  mile     ....  1.54 

Time  of  third  mile i-49i 

Time  of  fourth  mile      ....  i.49|- 

Time  of  first  heat    ....     7.26 


282  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Second  Heat 

Time  of  first  mile 2.02 

Time  of  second  mile    ....  1.58 

Time  of  third  mile 1.46 

Time  of  fourth  mile      .     .     .     .  1.52I 

Time  of  second  heat   .     .     .     7.38I 

Although  Lexington  started  in  the  name  of 
A.  L.  Bingaman,  he  was  owned  and  controlled 
by  Richard  Ten  Broeck,  the  man  who  took  the 
first  American  horses  to  England  to  try  con- 
clusions over  there.  Ten  Broeck  was  a  sports- 
man of  the  highest  class,  and  the  defeat  of 
Lexington  in  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  w^as  so  ua- 
satisfactory  to  him,  and  the  continued  reference 
to  Lecompte's  running  of  four  miles  in  7.26  so 
irritated  him,  that  he  issued  a  challenge  to  run 
Lexington  a  single  four  miles  over  the  Metairie 
Course  against  7.26  for  $10,000  a  side,  the  race 
to  be  run  between  the  ist  and  15th  of  the  follow- 
ing April,  that  is  to  say,  1855.  The  exact  terms 
of  Ten  Broeck's  famous  challenge  were  these :  — 
"  As  Lexington  will  probably  follow  the  fashion 
in  making  a  foreign  tour,  I  propose  the  following 
as  his  valedictory :  I  will  run  him  a  single  four 
miles  over  the  Metairie  Course,  under  the  rules 


When  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         283 

of  the  Club,  against  the  fastest  time,  at  four 
miles,  that  has  been  run  in  America,  for  the 
sum  of  $10,000,  one-fourth  forfeit,  two  trials  to 
be  allowed,  and  the  race  to  be  run  between  the 
ist  and  15th  of  April  next.  Arrow  to  be  substi- 
tuted if  Lexington  is  amiss.  Or,  I  will  run 
Lexington  over  the  same  course,  four-mile  heats, 
on  the  Thursday  previous  to  the  next  Metairie 
April  meeting  against  any  named  horse,  at  the 
rate  expressed  in  the  proposition  subjoined.  Or, 
I  will  run  him  over  the  Union  Course  at  New 
York,  the  same  distance,  on  the  third  Tuesday  in 
October.  Party  accepting  the  last  race  to  receive 
$25,000  to  $20,000;  or  to  pay  the  same  odds  if 
Lexington  travels  to  run  it  in  New  Orleans. 
The  forfeit  to  be  $5000,  and  to  be  deposited  at 
the  Astor  House  in  New  York  when  either  race 
is  accepted.  If  the  amounts  of  the  last  proposi- 
tion are  too  large,  they  may  be  reduced  one-half, 
with  forfeit  in  the  same  proportion.  The  first 
acceptance  coming  to  hand  will  be  valid.  Subse- 
quent ones  declined. 

"  Richard  Ten  Broeck." 

Those  figures  of  7.26  for  four  miles  seemed  at 
that  time  so  remarkable  that  persons  were  readily 
found  to  accept  the  defy  of  Mr.  Ten  Broeck,  and 


284  The  American  Tbowugbhred 

because  of  the  readiness  of  the  Southerners  to 
meet  him,  Lexington  in  the  next  year  returned 
to  New  Orleans  and  ran  the  great  public  trial 
which  caused  his  name  to  become  the  synonyme 
of  horse  greatness  throughout  this  entire  land. 

Gil  Patrick,  the  premier  jockey,  who  had  ridden 
Boston  in  all  his  greatest  races,  was  taken  to  New 
Orleans  to  ride  Lexington  in  the  dash  against 
the  watch.  From  the  New  Orleans  Picayune  is 
taken  this  description  of  how  Lexington  demon- 
strated the  remarkable  development  of  the  Ameri- 
can thoroughbred :  — 

"  The  most  brilliant  event  in  the  sporting  annals 
of  the  American  turf,  giving,  as  it  has,  the  palm 
to  the  renowned  Lexington,  came  off  yesterday 
over  the  Metairie  Course,  and  its  result  greatly 
surpassed  the  most  ardent  hopes  and  enthusiastic 
expectations  of  the  friends  of  the  winner  and  the 
lovers  of  the  turf  sports. 

"  The  day  was  the  loveliest  of  the  whole  season. 
As  the  hour  appointed  for  the  great  contest  ap- 
proached, the  town  was  all  astir  with  the  excite- 
ment incident  to  the  occasion.  Vehicles  of  all 
sorts  were  in  requisition,  and  our  beautiful  level 
shell  roads  were  filled  with  them  from  the  last 
paving  stone  to  the  gates  of    the  course.     The 


IVhen  Boston  s  Best  Sons  Met         285 

displays  in  equitation  during  that  busy  part  of 
the  day,  which  may  be  defined  as  'going  to  the 
races,'  were  ahuost  as  amusing  and  exciting  as 
the  greater  event,  for  witnessing  which  so  many 
thousands  were  intent. 

"The  judges  selected  for  the  occasion  were 
General  Stephen  M.  Westmore,  upon  the  part  of 
the  Virginia  gentlemen;  Arnold  Harris,  Esq.,  for 
Mr.  Ten  Broeck,  and  John  G.  Cocks,  Esq.,  the 
president  of  the  Metairie  Jockey  Club,  as  umpire. 

"  The  timers  were  the  Hon.  Duncan  F.  Kenner, 
Captain  William  J.  Minor,  and  Stephen  D. 
Elliott,   Esq. 

"  It  being  the  first  event  of  the  season,  there 
was  the  usual  bustle  at  the  gates,  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  members'  badges  and  the  strangers' 
badges,  the  admissions  to  the  different  stands, 
and  from  the  character  of  the  event,  an  unusual 
rush  of  carriages,  cabs,  buggies,  wagons,  saddle 
horses,  and  foot  passengers ;  and  by  three  o'clock 
the  course  presented  a  most  brilliant  appearance. 
There  were  representatives  of  every  section  of 
the  country,  and  almost  every  state  in  the  Union, 
and  among  them  we  were  happy  to  see  a  goodly 
show  of  the  fairer  portion  of  creation. 

"  The  field  inside  the  course  presented  a  most 


286  The  American  Thoroughbred 

animated  appearance,  and  the  feeling  in  favor  of 
the  gallant  Lexington  was  general  and  decided. 
And  as  the  predestined  hero  of  the  day  appeared 
upon  the  course,  —  in  company  with  his  stable 
companions,  who  were  to  be  partners  for  a  time 
in  his  toils,  his  feelings,  and  his  fame,  —  his  bold, 
reaching,  and  elastic  step,  his  unequalled  condi- 
tion, and  his  fearless,  defiant  look  —  conscious  of 
superiority  and  of  victory  —  gave  strength  to  his 
backers  that  all  was  as  it  should  be. 

"  Of  the  temerity  of  his  backer  and  owner, 
Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck,  in  standing  before  the 
world,  bidding  defiance  to  all  the  previous  per- 
formances ever  marked  by  horse,  we  have  before 
spoken,  as  our  feelings  dictated,  and  his  extraordi- 
nary self-reliance,  based  upon  well-directed  judg- 
ment and  sound  sense,  cannot  fail  to  place  him 
in  the  estimation  of  true  sportsmen  as  the  leader 
of  the  host.  He  knew  that  he  had  an  animal  of 
unflinching  courage,  coupled  with  lightning  speed, 
and  bravely  did  his  gallant  ally  respond  to  the 
call. 

"  The  betting  was  large.  Lexington's  appear- 
ance made  him  a  favorite,  and  before  starting  it 
was  firm  at  one  hundred  to  seventy-five  against 
Time,  and  but  few  takers.     The  greater  portion 


When  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         287 

of  the  betting  had  been  done  in  town,  and  there 
were  but  few  left  who  dared  to  brave  the  Hon 
in  his  lair. 

"  The  conflicting  opinions  which  had  been  gen- 
erally expressed  in  regard  to  the  terms  of  the 
match  and  of  its  mode  of  performance  caused  a 
great  general  excitement,  each  party  in  turn  ex- 
pressing his  views  as  to  the  right  of  the  points 
discussed ;  namely,  that  of  allowing  horses  to 
start  with  Lexington  to  urge  him  to  an  increased 
speed,  and  the  propriety  of  giving  the  horse  a 
running  start. 

"  The  judges,  however,  ended  the  matter  by  de- 
ciding that  he  could  do  both.  The  decision  gave 
very  general  satisfaction. 

"  Gil  Patrick,  upon  Lexington,  now  prepared  for 
action,  and  as  he  started  up  the  stretch  on  his 
proud  courser  to  do  that  which  no  other  horse 
had  ever  attempted,  the  man  and  horse  formed  a 
beautiful  and  perfect  picture.  He  turned  Lexing- 
ton around  just  below  the  draw-gates,  and  as  he 
reached  the  judges'  stand,  when  the  drum  tapped, 
the  horse  was  at  the  pace  which  it  was  intended 
he  should  run.  To  our  mind  he  was  run  too  fast 
the  first  mile,  which  he  accomplished  in  147 J 
—  the  first  half-mile  in  53  seconds.     Upon  reach- 


288  The  American  Tborougbhred 

ing  the  stand  it  was  intimated  to  him  to  go 
slower,  which  he  did. 

"  Joe  Blackburn  was  started  behind  him  at  the 
beginning  of  the  first  mile,  but  the  respectful 
distance  he  kept  in  the  rear  must  certainly  have 
done  an  injury  rather  than  a  benefit,  for  at  no 
time  was  he  near  enough  for  Lexington  to  hear 
the  sound  of  his  hoofs. 

"  The  pace  in  the  second  mile  visibly  decreased, 
Arrow,  who  was  started  before  its  commence- 
ment, waiting  about  thirty  yards  behind  Lexing- 
ton. In  the  third  mile  Arrow  closed  the  gap, 
and  Lexington,  hearing  him,  was  a  little  more 
anxious  and  slightly  increased  his  pace.  Upon 
entering  the  fourth  mile.  Arrow  was  stopped  and 
Joe  Blackburn  went  at  him  again,  but,  as  in  the 
first  instance,  he  was  like  '  chips  in  porridge ' 
—  of  no  benefit. 

*'  Lexington  darted  off  in  earnest,  running  the 
last  mile  in  1.48J.  He  reached  the  head  of  the 
front  stretch  in  6.55,  running  its  entire  length 
in  24J  seconds,  —  the  whole  time  of  the  four 
miles  in  7. 19 J,  carrying  103  pounds,  Gil  Patrick 
being  3  pounds  overweight. 

"  That  the  course  was  in  admirable  condition 
we  need  not  assert,  but  that  we  have  seen  it  in 


IVhen  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met        289 

better  order  for  safety  and  for  time  we  think  we 
may  assert.  The  writer  of  this  was  not  present 
when  Lexington  and  Lecompte  met  last  spring, 
and  can  therefore  make  no  comparison,  but 
agrees  with  '  A  Young  Turfman '  that  the  ex- 
treme hardness  of  the  track  might  prevent  a 
horse  from  fully  extending  himself,  which  must 
have  been  the  case  with  Lexington  yesterday. 

"  He  lost  his  fore  plate  and  half  the  right  hind 
one,  and  Gil  Patrick,  at  the  draw-gates  the  last 
mile,  had  no  little  difficulty  in  keeping  him  on 
his  course,  Lexington  making  violent  efforts  to 
swerve  to  the  right,  where  it  was  soft  and  heavy. 

"  With  regard  to  the  time,  not  a  doubt  can  be 
entertained,  the  official  being  slower  than  any 
other.  Outside,  by  many  experienced  timers, 
it  was  made  7. 19 J. 

"  The  excitement  attending  the  progress  of  this 
remarkable  race  cannot  be  described.  It  was 
intense  throughout,  and  to  those  who  had  no 
opportunity  of  taking  note  of  time,  Lexington's 
deceptive,  foxlike  gait  could  not  have  given  them 
hopes  of  success.  The  joyousness  and  hilarity 
everywhere  visible,  which  followed  the  announce- 
ment that  Lexington  was  the  victor,  showed  the 
feeling  of  the  majority  of  the  vast  assemblage. 


290  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

"  It  must  be  a  source  of  the  highest  gratification 
to  the  rider  of  Lexington  that  he  guided  him 
through  his  perilous  journey  successfully,  despite 
the  prophecies  and  hopes  of  defeat  that  attended 
him.  In  this  connection  we  may  fearlessly  assert 
that  through  a  long  career  of  usefulness  and  suc- 
cess of  more  than  twenty  years  upon  the  turf, 
the  name  of  Gilbert  W.  Patrick,  the  rider,  has 
never  been  tainted  with  even  the  breath  of  sus- 
picion, and  that  the  bright  escutcheon  of  his 
name  remains  untarnished  ;  and  as  this  is  per- 
haps his  last  appearance  in  public,  it  is  the 
writer's  hearty  wish  that  he  may  live  to  enjoy  an 
uninterrupted  flow  of  worldly  comfort,  and  that 
when  death  calls  him  to  answer  that  to  which 
all  living  must  respond,  he  may  be  full  of  years 
and  honor.  The  names  of  Gil  Patrick  and 
Lexington  are  inseparably  connected  with  the 
greatest  achievement  upon  the  American  turf. 

"  That  this  race  will  go  down  to  generations 
yet  unborn  as  the  fastest  ever  made  is  the 
honest  conviction  of  the  writer." 

The  following  is  the  record :  — 

Monday,  April  2,  1855.  Match  for  ^20,000; 
Lexington  to  beat  the  fastest  time  at  four  miles, 
being  7.26. 


When  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         291 

R.  Ten  Broeck's  b.  c.  Lexington,  by  Boston,  out  of  Alice 
Carneal,  by  imp.  Sarpedon.  4  yrs.  103  lbs.  —  3 
lbs.  extra.     Gil  Patrick won 

Time  of  first  mile i47t 

Time  of  second  mile    .     .     .     .  1.52^ 

Time  of  third  mile i-5ii 

Time  of  fourth  mile      ....  i.48f 

Total  time 7-i9f 

And  what  joy  there  was  in  the  old  Crescent 
City  that  afternoon,  when,  outside  of  18  Royal 
Street,  they  posted  those  figures,  y.igf.  It  was 
a  Kentucky  horse,  to  be  sure ;  but  then  he  had 
come  to  New  Orleans  to  do  his  race,  and  New 
Orleans  would  always  be  remembered  as  having 
given  him  the  opportunity  for  it. 

There  was  great  sociability  in  the  town  the 
night  after,  and  upon  one  side  of  Canal  Street 
they  were  drinking  absinthe  and  liqueurs  and 
telling  of  the  wonderful  thing,  as  being  possible 
only  on  such  a  track  as  could  be  made  in  their 
dear  New  Orleans. 

And  on  the  other  side  of  Canal  the  Americans 
were  saying  that  a  little  later  in  the  year,  on  the 
Union  Course  at  Long  Island,  Lexington  would 
set  a  much  better  mark  than  that,  although  y.igf 
was  so  much  above  all  else  that  had   been  done 


292  The  American  Thoroughbred 

at  this  four-mile  distance  that  it  seemed  hazard- 
ous to  predict  that  he  could  ever  be  faster  than 
that  in  any  land.  Still  the  gentle  people  on 
the  old  side  of  Canal  Street  maintained  that 
Lexington  had  established  the  mark,  and  that 
perhaps  never  again  would  there  be  found  horse 
who  could  do  such  a  thing  as  this. 

And  then,  looking  at  their  extravagances  of 
opinion  fifty  years  after,  and  looking  at  the  four- 
mile  record  as  it  stands  to-day,  one  cannot  help 
wondering  whether  we  have  improved  the  race- 
horse or  merely  improved  the  track  upon  which 
he  runs  and  our  system  of  training.  Yet,  at  that, 
when  four-mile  racing  was  not  the  rarity  that  it  is 
now,  and  there  was  much  racing  at  this  honorable 
distance,  it  required  almost  twenty  years  of  time 
to  better  that  gallop  of  Lexington's  on  the  old 
Metairie  Course. 

It  was  Fellowcraft,  scion  of  the  same  house, 
who  finally  did  it.  And  then,  since  Fellowcraft's 
time,  away  out  yonder  in  California,  they  have 
been  steadily  chopping,  chopping,  chopping  the 
notches,  until  now,  when  we  look  at  the  turf  re- 
cord, we  see  that  the  four-mile  mark  is  7.1 1,  and 
it  is  credited  to  Lucretia  Borgia,  a  four-year-old, 
with  85   pounds  up.     Also,   you   note  that   The 


IVhen  Boston's  Best  Sons  Met         293 

Bachelor,   a  six-year-old,  with    1 1 3    pounds,   had 
run  in  7.16^. 

Who  were  Lucretia  Borgia  and  The  Bachelor  ? 
Lucretia  ran  no  longer  ago  than  1897,  and  The 
Bachelor  galloped  so  recently  as  1899.  And 
not  upon  the  tongues  of  men  are  the  names  of 
either  of  these,  and  the  gentlemen  now  living 
who  sat  at  their  business  of  enthusiasm  on  this 
night  down  in  New  Orleans  probably  could  not 
now  call  to  mind  such  existences  as  Borgia  and 
The  Bachelor. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE    LAST    RACE    OF    LEXINGTON 

From  the  long  cry  of  this  7.i9f,  the  third  and 
last  great  effort  of  Lexington  was  made.  Not- 
withstanding the  formidable  public  trial  which 
Lexington  had  shown,  the  Lecompte  people  were 
not  yet  satisfied  that  Lexington  was  a  better  son 
of  Boston  than  their  own  "  Red  River  "  horse. 

On  April  24  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  of  $1000 
was  to  be  run.  An  inside  stake  of  $2500  each 
was  betted  between  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck, 
representing  Lexington,  and  Mr.  T.  J.  W^lls, 
representing  Lecompte.  And  on  this  Saturday 
afternoon,  at  the  Metairie  Course,  occurred  the 
last  of  that  series  of  events  which  have  lent  to 
New  Orleans  a  turf  history  perhaps  more  brilliant 
than  that  possessed  by  any  racing  city  in  the 
United  States. 

It  is  no  place  here  to  go  into  description  of 
the  crowds  which  assembled  at  this  second  meet- 
ing of  the  pair.  It  is  mainly  interesting  to  get 
294 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  295 

to  the  immediate  affair  at  hand  and  to  have  told 
for  us,  by  the  best  writer  of  that  day,  the  last 
story  to  be  told  of  the  rivalry  between  Lexington 
and  Lecompte,  and  that  decision  which  finally 
gave  the  crown  of  kingdom  to  Lexington  and 
permitted  him  to  return  to  the  Blue-grass  of 
Kentucky,  the  greatest  of  all  the  Bostons  and  the 
best  race-horse  living.  Virtually,  the  story  of  the 
match  is  this :  — 

"  At  length  the  bugle  sounded  the  signal  for 
the  horses  to  be  stripped.  Upon  this  everybody 
pressed  forward  to  obtain  eligible  places ;  every 
neck  was  stretched  to  its  utmost  length.  Even 
the  gamblers  in  the  alleys  underneath  the  public 
stands  undoubled  their  legs  from  beneath  their 
faro  tables,  locked  up  their  double  card-boxes, 
stopped  the  snap  of  their  roulettes,  and  slipped 
the  little  ivory  ball  in  their  vest  pockets,  to  run 
upstairs  and  become  innocent  lookers-on. 

"  Wagers  on  the  contestants  had  a  small  revival 
in  consequence  of  this  eruption  from  the  betting 
quarter,  and  the  odds  on  Lexington  went  up 
again  to  the  mark  of  ^100  to  ^80.  It  was  very 
freely  taken,  however,  by  the  gentlemen  from 
Red  River,  where  Lecompte  was  raised,  and  with 
many  of  them  confidence  in  their  favorite  stood 


296  Tbe  American  Tborougbbred 

so  high  that  they  put  out  all  the  money  they 
had  brought  to  town  on  equal  terms.  They 
reasoned  that  if  Lexington  could  perform  a  four- 
mile  heat  in  7. 19 J,  there  was  no  reason  why 
Lecompte  should  not  also  do  it,  if  required,  for 
the  contest  now  stood  equal  between  them,  and 
it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  in  Lecompte's  vic- 
tory in  7.26  he  had  trailed  Lexington,  and  then 
turned  out  and  passed  ahead  of  him. 

"  It  was,  moreover,  said  on  their  side,  that  the 
7.i9jwas  not  as  good  as  the  7.26  of  Lecompte, 
for  that  by  running  alone  and  choosing  the  close 
side  of  the  track,  Lexington  saved  nearly  two 
seconds  of  distance  in  each  mile,  and  likewise 
had  the  advantage  of  a  long  start,  and  of  receiv- 
ing the  word  '  Go '  at  full  speed  instead  of  be- 
ginning 'from  the  jump'  as  in  match  fashion. 
Hope  told  a  flattering  tale. 

"On  the  strength  of  these  calculations  there  was 
considerable  betting  on  time,  but  with  none  did 
I  hear  it  set  at  less  than  7.26,  while  many  be- 
lieved—  though  I  heard  no  bet  to  that  effect  — 
that  the  heat  would  be  achieved  as  low  down  as 
7.15  or  7.16.  I  do  not  know  that  anything  can 
furnish  a  better  idea  of  the  revolution  made  in 
racing  time   by   Lecompte  and   Lexington  than 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  297 

this  state  of  expectation  shows.  What  would 
have  been  thought,  two  years  ago,  of  the  decla- 
ration that  in  a  little  while  we  should  see  a  four- 
mile  race,  in  which  the  highest  mark  on  time 
would  be  7.26? 

"  There  is  something  in  this  matter  of  increase 
of  speed  that  is  worthy  of  reflection  and  philoso- 
phy. We  find  continual  advancement,  and  what 
is  most  remarkable,  exploit  begets  exploit,  as  if 
knowledge  and  emulation  touched  new  powers 
which  had  never  been  electrified  before. 

"  Whence  does  the  spark  proceed  that  awakes 
these  energies,  but  from  the  mind  of  man,  im- 
parting itself  by  some  strange  process  to  the 
mind  and  body  of  his  horse  as  he  does  to  the 
corporeal  faculties  in  possession  of  himself .? 
Trotting  time  stood  for  years  at  2.32,  then  2.30, 
and  then  2.28.  At  length  Beppo  and  Lady 
Suffolk  made  a  dead  heat  under  saddle  on  the 
Beacon  Course  in  2.26.  Straightway  2.26  was 
repeated  by  several  other  horses.  By  and  by  it 
was  reduced  still  lower,  and  at  length  2.28  was 
banished  to  mile  heats  in  wagons. 

"  So  with  the  racers  I  have  named,  and  so  with 
Lecompte  and  Lexington.  One-half  of  a  horse's 
speed  is  found  in  the  brain  of  his  rider  or  driver, 


298  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

and  that  subtle  essence,  that  knowledge  how  to 

do    and    will    to    command    it,    blends    with    the 

powers  of  the  beast  and  makes  all  things  done. 

So  with  foot  racers,  when  they  have  known  that 

nine  miles  within  the  hour  could  be  increased  to 

ten,  and  the  ten  to  eleven.     They  were  the  same 

men,  without   any  improvement   in   their  breed, 

the  same  men  who  had  once  been  able  barely  to 

do  nine. 

"  Shall  we  be  told  that  the  Bonny  Black  Bess  of 

the  bold  Turpin  did  not  respond  to  her  master's 

spirit  when  she  took  her  wondrous  bound  over 

the  spiked  turnpike  gate,  or  that  a  portion  of  the 

soul  of  the  brave  Mameluke,  who  alone  escaped 

the  massacre  of   the   Beys  by  leaping  his  horse 

over  the  walls  of  Cairo,  did  not  enter  into  that 

of  his  matchless  barb.? 

"The  bounding  steed  you  pompously  bestride 
Shares  with  his  lord,  his  pleasure  and  his  pride. 

"  Assuredly  the  best  portion  of  a  horse's  speed 
lies  in  the  mind  of  his  rider,  and  it  is  by  no  means 
certain  that  if  Gil  Patrick,  who  rode  Lexington 
into  7.i9f,  had  —  with  his  present  knowledge  of 
what  is  within  a  horse — grasped  the  rein  and 
pressed  the  sides  of  Eclipse,  he  could  not  have 
brought  his  7.37  down  to  7.26. 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  299 

"  When  the  blankets  were  stripped  from  the 
horses  and  their  magnificent  combinations  of 
blood,  heart,  and  muscle  stood  glistening  and 
flickering  in  the  sun,  the  crowd  near  by  could 
not  resist  an  involuntary  burst  of  admiration,  at 
which  Lecompte  stepped  coquettishly  about, 
showing  his  beautiful  chestnut  coat  and  branch- 
ing muscle,  while  the  darker  Lexington,  with  a  se- 
date and  intelligent  aspect,  looked  calmly  around, 
as  if  he  felt  that  the  sensation  was  quite  what  he 
expected  and  deserved. 

"  Both  animals  were  in  the  finest  possible  con- 
dition, and  the  weather  and  the  track,  had  they 
been  manufactured  to  a  sportsman's  order,  could 
not  have  been  improved.  At  last  the  final  signal 
of  '  Bring  up  your  horses '  sounded  from  the 
bugle;  and  prompt  to  the  call,  Gil  Patrick,  the 
well-known  rider  of  Boston,  put  his  foot  in 
Lexington's  stirrup,  and  the  negro  boy  of  Gen- 
eral Wells  sprang  into  the  saddle  of  Lecompte. 
They  advanced  slowly  and  daintily  forward  to 
the  stand,  and  when  they  halted  at  the  score  the 
immense  concourse,  that  had  up  to  this  moment 
been  swaying  to  and  fro,  were  fixed  as  stone.  It 
was  a  beautiful  sight  to  see  these  superb  animals 
standing  at  the  score,  filled  with  unknown  quali- 


300  The  American  Thoroughbred 

ties  of  flight,  and  quietly  awaiting  the  conclusion 
of  the  directions  to  the  riders  for  the  tap  of  the 
drum. 

"At  length  the  tap  of  the  drum  came,  and 
instantly  it  struck  the  stationary  steeds  leaped 
forward  with  a  start  that  sent  everybody's  heart 
into  his  mouth.  With  bound  on  bound,  as  if 
life  were  staked  on  every  spring,  they  flew  up 
the  quarter-stretch,  Lexington  at  the  turn  draw- 
ing his  nose  a  shadow  in  advance,  but  when  they 
reached  the  half-mile  post — 53  seconds  —  both 
were  exactly  side  by  side.  On  they  went  at 
the  same  flying  pace,  Lexington,  again  drawing 
gradually  forward,  first  his  neck,  then  his  shoul- 
der, and  increasing  up  the  straight  side  amid  a 
wild  roar  of  cheers,  flew  by  the  stand  at  the  end 
of  the  first  mile,  three-quarters  of  a  length  in  the 
lead.  '  One  hundred  to  seventy-five  on  Lexing- 
ton !'     Time,  1.49^. 

"  Onward  they  plunge  ;  onward  without  pause  ! 
What  makes  this  throbbing  at  my  heart  ?  What 
are  these  brilliant  brutes  to  me  ?  Why  do  I  lean 
forward  and  insensibly  unite  my  voice  with  the 
roar  of  this  mad  multitude }  Alas,  I  but  share 
the  infatuation  of  the  horses,  and  the  levelling 
spirit  common  to  all  strife  has  seized  on  all  alike. 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  301 

'  Where  are  they  now  ?  Ah,  there  they  fly  round 
first  turn  !  By  heaven,  Lecompte  is  overhauHng 
him !' 

"And  so  he  was,  for  on  entering  the  back- 
stretch  of  the  second  mile  the  hero  of  7.26 
made  his  most  desperate  effort,  reaching  first 
the  girth,  then  the  shoulder,  then  the  neck  of 
Lexington,  and  finally,  when  he  reached  the 
half-mile  post,  laid  himself  alongside  him,  nose 
by  nose.  Then  the  mass,  which  during  the  few 
seconds  of  this  special  struggle  had  been  breath- 
less with  hope  and  fear,  burst  into  a  shout  that 
rang  for  miles,  and  amid  the  din  of  which 
might  be  heard  here  and  there,  'One  hundred 
even  on  Lecompte  ! ' 

"  But  this  equality  was  only  for  a  moment's 
term.  Lexington  threw  his  eye  jealously  askant; 
Gil  Patrick  relaxed  a  little  of  his  rein,  which 
up  to  this  time  he  had  held  close  in  hand; 
and  without  violence  or  startling  effort,  the 
racer  of  racers  stole  ahead,  gently,  but  steadily 
and  surely,  as  before,  until  he  drew  himself 
a  clear  length  in  the  lead,  in  which  position 
they  closed  the  second  mile.     Time,  1.5 1. 

"  Again  the  hurrah  rises  as  they  pass  the  stand 
—  'One  hundred  to  seventy-five  on  Lexington!' 


302  The  American  Thoroughbred 

and  swells  in  still  wider  volume  when  Lexington 
increases  his  one  length  to  three,  from  the  stand 
to  the  turn  of  the  back-stretch.  In  vain  Le- 
compte  struggled ;  in  vain  he  called  to  mind  his 
former  laurels ;  in  vain  his  rider  struck  him  with 
the  steel ;  his  great  spirit  was  a  sharper  spur,  and 
when  his  tail  fell,  as  it  did  from  this  time  out, 
I  could  imagine  he  felt  a  sinking  of  the  heart  as 
he  saw  streaming  before  him  the  waving  flag  of 
Lexington,  now  held  straight  out  in  race-horse 
fashion,  and  anon  nervously  flung  up,  as  if  it 
were  a  plume  of  triumph. 

'"One  hundred  to  fifty  on  Lexington!'  The 
three  lengths  were  increased  to  four,  and  again 
the  shout  arose,  as  in  this  •  relative  condition 
they  went  for  the  third  time  over  the  course. 
Time,  1.5 1. 

"  The  last  crisis  of  the  strife  had  now  arrived, 
and  Lecompte,  if  he  had  any  resources  left,  must 
call  upon  them  straight.  So  thought  his  rider, 
for  the  steel  went  to  his  sides ;  but  it  was  in  vain, 
he  had  done  his  best;  while,  as  for  Lexington, 
it  seemed  as  if  he  had  just  begun  to  run.  Gil 
Patrick  now  gave  him  a  full  rein,  and  for  a  time, 
as  he  went  down  the  back-stretch,  it  actually 
seemed  as  if  he  were  running  for   the  very  fun 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  303 

of  the  thing.  It  was  now  $100  to  $10  on  Lex- 
ington, or  any  kind  of  odds,  but  there  were  no 
takers.  He  had  the  laurel  in  his  teeth  and  was 
CToinsf  for  a  distance. 

"  But  at  this  inglorious  prospect  Lecompte 
desperately  rallied,  and  escaped  the  humiliation 
by  drawing  himself  a  few  lengths  within  the 
distance  pole,  while  Lexington  dashed  past  the 
stand,  hard  in  hand,  and  actually  running  away 
with  his  rider  —  making  the  last  mile  in  1.52! 
and  completing  the  four  in  the  unprecedented 
time  of  7. 2  3 J.  I  say  unprecedented  because  it 
beats  Lecompte's  7.26,  and  is  therefore  the 
fastest  heat  that  was  ever  made  in  a  match." 

If  there  was  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  of 
New  Orleans  and  of  Louisiana  a  resentment 
against  Lexington  for  this  signal  defeat  which 
he  had  administered  to  their  "Red  River" 
horse,  they  gave  no  sign  of  it ;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, when  the  Kentuckians  and  their  friends 
returned  to  the  city  from  the  course  that  after- 
noon, there  was  scarce  an  alien  in  the  town  who 
was  not  the  subject  of  entertainment  by  some 
citizen. 

Indeed,  it  was  the  part  of  social  New  Orleans 
to  show  to  the  horsemen  from  far  up  the  river 


304  The  American  Thoroughbred 

that  they  could  be  as  gracious  in  defeat  as  they 
had  been  jubilant  in  victory.  There  were  such 
scenes  about  the  old  Crescent  City  that  night 
as  one  in  this  day  and  time  would  like  to  see 
repeated.  There  was  an  atmosphere  of  gentility 
and  of  delightful  courtesy  between  the  people 
of  the  extreme  South  and  the  sportsmen  from 
along  the  Ohio  which  unfortunately  does  not 
have  repetition  in  this  more  practical  day  of  the 
turf. 

If  their  hero  had  been  deposed,  the  towns- 
people of  New  Orleans  were  quite  as  loud  in 
their  acclaim  of  the  new  hero  who  had  come, 
and  their  jealousies  were  hidden  deep  down  in 
those  bosoms  that  were  knightly  enough  to  be 
generous  under  any  circumstances  while  the 
guest  was  within  the  city  gates. 

And  then,  too,  Lexins^ton  was  a  son  of  Boston, 
and  therein  he  was  related  to  the  Louisiana  cham- 
pion, and  so,  after  all,  there  was  balm  in  Gilead 
because  these  gentlemen  from  the  North  had 
not  brought  an  entire  alien  to  give  defeat  to 
Lecompte.  It  took  a  member  of  the  family  to 
do  that. 

Lexington's  return  to  his  own  Kentucky  land 
was  a  processional  triumph.     There  are  still  aged 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  305 

gentlemen  living  in  the  South  who  refer  to  the 
time  "  when  we  came  back  from  New  Orleans 
with  a  boatload  of  money."  That  very  river  life 
itself  on  the  great  Mississippi  steamers  that  left 
the  Crescent  City  to  bring  the  sportsmen  north- 
ward with  their  bags  of  gold  is  a  story  in  itself. 

The  name  of  Lexington  was  handled  with 
scarcely  less  deference  than  that  of  the  Deity. 
All  over  the  sunny  South  went  the  word  "  Lex- 
ington." Far  up  into  the  North,  even  into  parts 
where  the  race-horse  was  not  known,  travelled  the 
word  "  Lexington."  There  came  a  day  when  any 
little  child  of  America  could  have  told  you  the 
story  of  Lexington.  And  the  time  is  not  yet  past 
when  that  name  is  synonymous  with  everything 
that  is  greatest  in  a  horse.  Lexington  belonged 
not  alone  to  the  turfmen.  He  was  the  heritage 
of  the  nation.  He  was  Lexington  in  the  minds 
of  the  people,  and  after  him  there  were  merely 
other  horses. 

That  he  was  a  greater  race-horse  than  his  sire 
perhaps  the  records  may  not  prove.  Much  dis- 
cussion has  there  been  on  that  particular  subject. 
Lexington's  campaign  was  so  short  that,  as  a 
whalebone  animal  of  almost  impossible  endur- 
ance, Boston  is  away  above  him.     Yet,  measured 


3o6  The  American  Tboroiigbhred 

on  the  time  standard,  Lexington  was  far  and 
away  superior  to  the  horse  which  sired  him. 

However  much  one's  personal  opinion  may 
lean  to  Boston  or  to  his  son  Lexington,  as  the 
greatest  horse  which  America  has  produced,  one 
must  be  compelled  to  bow  to  the  single  and  sig- 
nificant fact  that  Lexington  was,  at  the  close  of 
his  career,  and  is  now  in  the  minds  of  the  Ameri- 
can people,  the  greatest  horse  that  ever  lived  this 
side  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The  ordinary  casual 
observer  of  turf  affairs  imagines  that  Lexington 
must  have  been  a  most  wonderful  animal,  racing 
a  great  number  of  years.  And  to  many  turfmen 
it  will  be  surprising  news  to  know  that  Lexington 
started  in  his  first  race  May  22,  1853,  and  that  he 
ran  his  last  race  April  14,  1855  ;  that  in  two  years 
of  standing  for  all  that  was  highest  and  best  on 
the  turf,  Lexington  faced  the  starter  but  seven 
times  and  met  defeat  but  once,  and  that  in  the 
second  affair  with  Lecompte,  when  New  Orleans 
was  packing  Royal  Street  with  its  best  blood  and 
was  hysterical  in  a  Latin  way  over  Lecompte's 
four  miles  in   7.26. 

Lexington  reached  Kentucky  from  New  Or- 
leans a  short  time  after  his  defeat  of  Lecompte 
in  their  last  race,  and  went  into  the  stud  a  per- 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  307 

fectly  sound  horse.  He  opened  court  at  the 
farm  of  Mr.  Harper,  at  Midway,  Kentucky,  in 
that  same  season  of  1855,  and  covered  thirty 
mares. 

It  has  just  been  said  that  he  was  retired  a 
sound  horse.  That  it  was  the  intention  of  Rich- 
ard Ten  Broeck  to  retire  him  at  that  time  nobody 
beheves.  Indeed,  Richard  Ten  Broeck  many, 
many  years  afterward  in  California  said  that,  if 
nothing  had  happened  to  Lexington,  he  would 
have  gone  to  England  in  the  following  autumn, 
there  to  have  been  tried  against  the  greatest 
horses  on  the  other  side. 

While  he  was  at  Harper's  place  in  the  summer 
of  1855,  he  was  being  carried  along  in  training. 
And  right  here  is  a  point  in  the  history  of  Lex- 
ington which  has  never  been  satisfactorily  cleared 
up,  and  the  facts  were  not  known  to  Mr.  Ten 
Broeck  ten  years  ago.  There  is  a  story  told  that 
while  taking  his  gallops  Lexington  escaped  from 
his  stable  one  night,  found  his  way  into  a  field  of 
green  corn,  and  there  so  gorged  himself  that  he 
was  foundered  as  a  result. 

Unaware  of  his  suffering  from  overfeeding,  he 
was  given  a  strong  trial  on  a  full  stomach  and 
lost  his  eyesight  as  a  consequence.     There  is  still 


3o8  The  American  Tboroiigbhred 

another  story  to  the  effect  that  a  drunken  attend- 
ant heaped  his  bin  full  of  oats,  and  he,  being  what 
stablemen  call  a  "good  doer,"  so  filled  himself 
that  the  trial,  under  the  circumstances,  resulted 
so  deplorably.  Whatever  the  cause,  there  is  no 
authentic  history  to  support  it.  At  least  Mr. 
Ten  Broeck  knew  of  none,  and  certainly  he 
should,  if  there  was  any. 

At  any  rate,  Lexington  appeared  never  again 
upon  the  turf  after  the  brilliant  last  time  with 
Lecompte  in  New  Orleans.  And  the  reason 
Lecompte  went  to  England  later,  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  Mr.  Ten  Broeck,  was  because  the  hero 
of  those  four-mile  magnificences  had  gone  stone 
blind  in  Kentucky,  and  was  a  monarch  with  a 
court  whose  splendor  he  could  not  see. 

The  public  career  of  Lexington  in  no  wise 
compares  with  that  of  his  sire  Boston,  because 
Lexington  started  in  all  only  seven  times  and 
won  six  races.  His  total  winnings,  however, 
amounted  to  ^56,000.  It  was  in  the  stud  that 
Lexington  proved  himself  to  be,  in  that  respect 
at  least,  the  superior  of  his  sire.  At  the  time 
of  his  going  blind,  Lexington  was  still  the 
property  of  Mr.  Ten  Broeck,  who  at  that  time 
was   in    England.       Mr.    R.    A.   Alexander,    the 


The  Last  Race  of^  Lexington  309 

princely  owner  of  Woodburn  Stud,  went  abroad 
in  1856  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  an  Eng- 
lish stallion.  He  found  nothing  that  suited 
him,  and  curiously  enough,  while  in  England  he 
met  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  and  bought  Lexington  for 
$15,000,  half  of  the  money  to  be  paid  down 
and  the  other  half  to  be  paid  if  the  horse 
should  still  be  living  when  Mr.  Alexander 
reached  the  farm. 

Happily,  Lexington's  life,  even  in  blindness, 
was  to  be  a  long  one.  Mr.  Alexander  secured 
him  and  took  him  to  Woodburn.  Except  for 
a  brief  visit  to  Illinois  in  1865  to  save  him  from 
confiscation  by  the  Union  cavalry,  Lexington 
remained  at  Woodburn  farm  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  July  i,  1876. 

As  the  foremost  racing  sire  of  his  time  and 
the  most  impressive  one  in  the  American  pedi- 
grees of  to-day,  this  intimate  description  of  the 
appearance  of  Lexington  is  given. 

Lexington  was  a  blood  bay,  about  i5|-  hands 
high,  with  fore  and  hind  feet  and  pasterns  and 
a  small  portion  of  his  hind  legs  above  pasterns 
white.  His  bones  were  not  particularly  large, 
except  the  backbone,  which  was  unusually  so. 
His  muscle  was  abundant,  dry,  and  sinewy,  with- 


3IO  The  American  Thoroughbred 

out  any  cumbrous  flesh  ;  his  ears,  which  were 
handsome  and  wide  apart,  were  beautifully 
placed ;  his  head,  though  not  small,  was  bony, 
clean,  and  handsome. 

His  nostrils  being  large,  the  jaw-bone  was 
uncommonly  wide  apart,  affording  abundant 
room  for  a  clear  and  well-detached  throttle. 

His  left  eye  was  full  and  mild,  though  ani- 
mated; his  right  eye  had  lost  its  convexity 
from  disease ;  he  had  a  noble  countenance,  in- 
dicating good  temper  and  disposition,  for  which 
he  was  remarkable.  His  neck  rose  well  from 
his  shoulders  and  joined  his  head  admirably. 
His  shoulder  had  a  very  wide  bone,  very  strong, 
well  displayed,  particularly  oblique,  and  rose 
sufificiently  high  at  the  withers,  without  any  of 
that  superfluous  neck  so  frequently  seen  to  sur- 
mount the  shoulders  two  or  three  inches,  which 
cannot  add  to  power  or  easy  motion. 

His  arms  came  out  well  from  the  body,  were 
sufflciently  wide  apart  for  a  good  chest,  and  were 
long,  muscular,  and  strong.  His  back  was  of 
medium  length,  coupling  pretty  well  back,  a 
loin  wide,  slightly  arched,  and  very  powerful. 

His  body  would  bear  the  most  rigid  scrutiny 
—  it    looked    perfection,    being     ribbed     in    the 


The  Last  Race  of  Lexington  3 1 1 

best  possible  manner,  and  very  deep  through- 
out, which  made  his  legs  appear  short,  while  at 
the   same   time    he  had   a  great   reach. 

His  hips  were  not  remarkably  wide,  though 
strong,  and  in  the  sweep,  down  to  and  embrac- 
ing the  hock,  he  had  rarely  an  equal.  His  feet, 
though  mostly  white,  were  excellent,  as  were 
his  legs,  with  good  bone,  clear  strong  tendons, 
and  good  proportions,  uniting  in  their  motion 
great  ease  and  correctness.  His  action  could 
not  be  surpassed;  bold,  free,  elastic,  and  full  of 
power,  and,  with  his  elegance  of  action  and  re- 
markable racing-like  form  throughout,  he  united 
great  beauty  and  grandeur. 

For  fifteen  years  and  more  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  Lexington  were  the  champions  of 
the  American  turf.  His  get  won  $1,159,321.  He 
sired  in  twenty-one  seasons  in  the  stud  about  six 
hundred  horses  of  both  sexes,  and  of  these,  two 
hundred  and  thirty-six  were  winners.  Were  they 
racing  to-day,  with  the  same  capacity,  in  these 
times  of  enormous  stakes,  the  Lexingtons  would 
have  accumulated  a  fabulous  amount  of  money. 

Wherever  they  went  the  Lexingtons  were 
kings  or  queens.  He  sired  Idlewild,  the  greatest 
mare  of  her  day,  who  would  have  been  as  famous 


312  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

as  any  mare  that  ever  graced  the  American  turf 
had  she  not  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  her 
best  racing  years  while  the  war  was  in  progress. 

In  one  year  alone  he  sired  the  great  trium- 
virate, Norfolk,  Asteroid,  and  Kentucky.  Fifty 
thousand  dollars  was  refused  for  Asteroid,  Ken- 
tucky sold  for  ^40,000,  and  Norfolk  in  his  racing 
prime  could  not  be  bought  for  less  than  the  latter 
amount. 

There  are  many  portraits  of  Lexington  in 
existence,  but  the  most  impressive  one  is  that 
painted  by  Scott,  representing  him  led  by  Black 
Jarrett,  his  groom.  The  head  is  turned  outward, 
and  we  have  a  full  view  of  the  dull,  sightless  eyes. 
The  right  fore-foot  is  thrown  out  haltingly,  as  if 
feeling  for  clear,  firm  ground  upon  which  to  place 
it.  The  whole  attitude  of  the  picture  speaks  the 
infirmity  of  the  animal,  and  one  loving  a  hero 
cannot  look  at  Scott's  production  and  recall  the 
brilliant  triumphs  of  the  horse  it  represents  with- 
out a  shade  of  sadness  stealing  into  one's  heart. 

The  glory  of  him,  however,  will  not  die  so  long 
as  we  have  a  turf  in  existence.  His  blood  is  still 
close  up  in  the  best  of  our  pedigrees.  No  son 
of  his  succeeded  him  as  a  sire,  but  his  daughters 
have  been  wonderful  producers. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

RACING    IN    WAR    TIMES 

It  was  just  when  Lexington  began  to  give  his 
great  progeny  to  the  turf  world  that  the  Civil 
War  came  on,  and  racing  was  entirely  paralyzed 
south  of  Kentucky.  Even  during  that  troublous 
period  the  Lexington  Association  continued  to 
give  meetings^  lapsing  only  the  one  season,  when 
Kirby  Smith's  army  was  occupying  the  race- 
course. Louisville  went  right  along  at  her 
favorite  sport,  and  some  remarkable  races  were 
run  over  the  Woodlawn  Course  there,  which 
were  in  a  way  lost  because,  at  the  time  of  the 
running,  the  men,  of  the  South  particularly,  were 
busy  in  the  trenches  or  on  the  march.  Phila- 
delphia, Paterson,  New  Jersey,  the  two  or  three 
small  tracks  nearer  to  New  York,  and  Chicago 
gave  occasional  meetings. 

Right  in  the  very  heart  of  the  war,  in  1863,  the 
Saratoga  Association  first  became  a  fact,  and  the 
track  at  Saratoga,  now  known  as  Horse  Haven, 
313 


314  The  American  Thoroughbred 

was  opened  as  a  race-course  during  the  dark  hours. 
William  R.  Travers,  as  president,  Charles  R. 
Wheatley,  as  secretary,  and  John  Morissey,  the 
pugilist  Congressman,  were  the  controlling  and 
guiding  spirits  at  Saratoga.  Right  from  its 
inception,  racing  at  the  Spa  became  exceedingly 
popular  and  very  fashionable. 

There  being  so  few  meetings  for  the  horses  in 
the  South,  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Lexington 
did  some  of  their  most  brilliant  racing  around 
New  York.  It  w^as  on  the  old  Centreville,  Long 
Island,  Course  that  Lexington's  greatest  daughter 
ran  her  grandest  race  and  stamped  herself  as  the 
best  animal  of  her  time. 

Idlewild  was  out  of  Florine  by  imported  Glen- 
coe.  This  daughter  of  Lexington  was  foaled  in 
1857.  Then  in  the  summer  of  1863,  in  the 
ownership  of  Captain  Thomas  G.  Moore,  she 
was  brought  North  to  the  races.  Wherever 
she  could  do  so,  she  had  met  and  defeated 
everything  in  the  South.  She  was  started  first 
in  Philadelphia  and  won  a  race  of  character  there. 
Shortly  after  that,  the  horses  being  idle  because 
there  were  no  meetings  planned  for  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  Captain  Moore  leased  the  Centreville 
Course  and  gave  a  three-day  entertainment. 


WILLIAM    R.    TRAVERS 


Racing  in  War  Times  315 

It  was  on  the  second  of  these  days,  or,  to  be 
exact,  Thursday,  June  25,  that  Idlewild  accom- 
phshed  the  most  splendid  performance  of  her 
career.  It  was  in  a  purse  of  $700  for  all  ages. 
The  distance  was  a  single  dash  of  four  miles. 
The  renowned  Jerome  Edgar,  by  Star  Davis  out 
of  Zenobia  by  imported  Zinganee,  a  four-year-old 
running  in  the  colors  of  John  M.  Clay,  was  one 
nomination.  Reporter,  a  five-year-old  horse  by 
Lexington  out  of  an  Eclipse  mare,  was  another. 
Dangerous,  a  four-year-old  colt  by  imported 
Bonnie  Scotland,  out  of  that  very  old  Fashion 
who  had  taken  the  measure  of  Boston,  was  a 
third.  Idlewild,  then  six  years  old,  was  the 
fourth. 

What  she  did  on  that  battle-day  in  June  in  her 
own  private  warfare  makes  good  reading  to  the 
man  who  knows  a  race-horse  and  has  admiration 
for  his  deeds.  Had  the  feat  been  accomplished 
at  a  time  when  the  country  was  less  passion-worn 
with  its  human  affairs,  the  name  of  Idlewild  would 
perhaps  have  become  as  famous  as  that  of  her 
distinguished  sire,  Lexington. 

Still,  though  the  horsemen  of  the  country  were 
conspicuous  among  the  warriors  at  the  front,  when 
the  meagre    news    of    Idlewild's  accomplishment 


3i6  The  American  Tboroiighbred 

reached  the  two  armies  it  was  camp-fire  talk  and 
trench  tattle  even  when  the  minie  balls  were 
singing  a  death  song  over  the  heads  of  the  men 
in  the  ditches. 

This  performance  of  Idlewild  stands  out  so 
particularly  and  peculiarly  on  account  of  some 
conditions  surrounding  it  that  a  brief  account  of 
the  race  is  of  exceptional  value. 

The  report  of  this  effort  of  hers  is  short,  but 
comprehensive.     It  was  this:  — 

"  Centreville,  Long  Island,  June  25,  1863. 
Dangerous  had  the  inside  —  the  blind  side  of  the 
mare ;  Jerome  on  the  outside  was  on  that  of  her 
good  eye.  She,  sandwiched  in  between,  reminded 
one  of  the  great  Queen  Bess,  with  Philip  of  Spain 
on  one  side  and  Louis  of  France  on  the  other, 
and  more  than  a  match,  in  craft  and  power,  for 
both.  At  the  word  they  jumped  off  together, 
but  Idlewild  was  soonest  on  her  legs  in  earnest, 
for  she  was  ahead  of  the  others  going  round  the 
turn.  But  Tommy  Patton's  orders  were  to  wait, 
and  he  pulled  her  to  the  rear  as  soon  as  he 
could. 

"  Gil  Patrick  on  Jerome  Edgar  now  made  the 
running,  but  not  at  a  strong  pace.  At  the  half- 
mile  pole  he  was  four  lengths  ahead  of  Dangerous, 


Racing  in  War  Times  317 

and  the  mare  as  much  behind  that  stout  little 
horse.  Idlewild  was  pulling  as  hard  as  Glenart- 
ney  when  Lord  Jersey's  other  colt,  Mameluke, 
beat  him  for  the  Derby,  and  all  the  fielders  ex- 
claimed, '  If  the  bridle  had  a-broke,  he  couldn't 
have  lost  it' 

"  Going  around  the  turn,  Tommy  indulged  the 
mare  with  a  little  of  her  head,  and  she  ran  by 
Dangerous,  taking  a  place  about  three  lengths  from 
Jerome,  while  the  other  colt  fell  as  much  behind 
her.  Thus  they  came  along  to  the  stand  in  i 
minute  59  seconds,  the  pace  not  having  been 
strong  in  any  portion  of  the  mile. 

"  Perhaps  Gil  Patrick  now  received  a  signal  to 
that  effect,  for  they  were  no  sooner  out  of  the 
crowd  than  he  put  on  steam.  The  mare  followed 
suit  and  maintained  her  relative  position,  but 
Dangerous  fell  a  little  more  in  the  rear. 

"The  pace  was  maintained  by  Jerome  all 
through  the  mile,  which  was  run  in  i  minute  48J 
seconds.  Idlewild  just  lay  about  three  lengths 
behind  the  leader,  while  Dangerous  was  some 
five  behind  her  when  they  came  to  the  stand. 
Another  mile  was  run,  and  there  was  no  change 
worth  mentioning  in  the  relative  positions  of  the 
horses,    save    that    Dangerous    dropped    a    little 


3i8  The  American  Thomiigbbred 

further  back.  This  mile  was  not  quite  as  fast  as 
the  second,  i  minute  51  seconds  being  the  time 
of  running  it. 

"Meanwhile  Thompson,  the  trainer  of  Idlewild, 
had  begun  to  feel  a  little  nervous  excitability. 
'  Tommy,'  said  he  to  Captain  Moore,  as  the 
horses  ran  along  the  back-stretch,  'is  laying  too 
far  off.  Tell  him  to  move  up  a  little  when  they 
come  along.' 

" '  I  shan't  tell  him  anything  of  the  kind ;  he's 
doing  well  enough,'  was  the  reply. 

"As  they  ran  along  the  back-stretch  of  the 
fourth  mile  the  mare  began  to  creep  toward 
Jerome  Edgar.  At  the  half-mile  there  was  but 
a  length  of  daylight  between  them. 

"  Now  the  great  struggle  in  reality  began. 
Inch  by  inch  the  stride  of  the  mare  closed  the 
gap  of  daylight.  Soon  it  was  all  gone.  And 
then  steadily,  but  inevitably,  as  the  shadow  of  the 
moon  during  an  eclipse  advances  over  the  face 
of  the  sun,  she  forereached  to  his  head. 

"  But  Jerome  was  not  to  be  passed,  and  steamed 
away  from  her.  Carefully  nursed  by  Gil  Patrick, 
he  had  a  run  yet  in  him,  even  at  the  rate  they 
were  going.  Neck  and  neck  with  the  mare  in 
the  hollow  of  the  turn,  as  though  cheered  on  by 


Racing  in  War  Times  319 

the  clarion  voice  of  Clay  of  Kentucky,  the  capital 
game  colt  raced. 

"  As  they  swung  into  the  home-stretch  the  mare 
had  about  half  a  length  the  best  of  it  and  no 
more.  Once  in  the  straight,  however,  her  stroke, 
strono^  and  elastic  as  the  Saxon  bow  that  strewed 
the  field  of  Cressy,  soon  decided  the  matter. 
She  got  clear  of  her  gallant  opponent,  took  the 
track,  and  won  it  by  two  lengths  (such  was  the 
fiat  of  the  judge)  in  7.26J,  the  last  mile  having 
been  run  in  1.47I.  Dangerous  was  at  the  end  of 
the  iron  rails  away  down  the  stretch. 

"  The  race  could  have  been  run  faster,  for  the 
horses  lost  time  by  taking  1.59  for  the  first  mile. 
The  last  three  miles  were  done  in  the  best  time 
ever  made  for  three  consecutive  miles,  viz., 
5.2 7j.  Brown  Dick's  was  5.28,  and  instead  of 
86  pounds,  he  ought  to  have  had  104  pounds  up, 
to  have  made  him  even  with  what  these  horses 
carried. 

"  There  was  a  shout  at  the  finish,  but  an  inde- 
scribable feeling  that  something  extraordinary 
had  been  accomplished  kept  the  majority  still. 
It  ran  through  the  crowd  like  a  stream  of  mag- 
netism, and  when  the  true  time  was  announced, 
the    sensations  of   the    multitude  were  too  deep 


320  The  American  Thoroughbred 

for  utterance.  The  dream  of  years  was  gone 
forever. 

"  Fashion's  time !  Why,  not  only  had  Idlevvild 
beaten  it  by  more  than  six  seconds,  but  Mr. 
Clay's  colt  had  knocked  Plutonic  bells  out  of  it. 
As  a  horse  running  at  the  rate  of  1.50  covers 
sixteen  yards  in  one  second  of  time,  he  made  the 
four  miles  in  an  appreciable  quantity  less  than 
7.27.  Even  Fashion's  own  son  could  have  come 
very  near  her  time,  if  not  made  it,  had  he  been 
ridden  out. 

"  Oh,  venerable  friends  !  Is  it  true,  that  which 
Captain  Moore  hath  often  said  of  late  to  us,  when 
we  have  verbally  descanted  on  the  belief  of 
ancient  worthies  that  Fashion's  time  could  not 
be  beaten  on  Long  Island !  '  Fashion's  time 
be  — !  What's  the  use  of  your  listening  to 
them  old  fogies ! '  " 

Stimmary 

Centreville  Course,  L.I.,  June  25.  Purse  and 
stake  of  $700;  4-mile  dash  for  all  ages;  weight 
for  age. 

T.  G.  Moore's  b.  m.  Idlewild,  6  yrs.,  by  Lexington,  dam 

by  Glencoe ;  117  lbs.     Tom  Patton i 


Racing  in  War  Times 


321 


John  M.  Clay's  b.  c.  Jerome  Edgar,  4  yrs.,  by  Star  Davis, 
out  of  Zenobia,  by  imp.  Zinganee;  104  lbs.  Gil 
Patrick 

M.  Morris's  ch.  c.  Dangerous,  4  yrs.,  by  imp.  Bonnie  Scot- 
land, out  of  Fashion ;  104  lbs.     Gordo fi  Davison     . 

Reporter  paid  forfeit. 


Time  of  first  mile  . 
Time  of  second  mile 
Time  of  third  mile  . 
Time  of  fourth  mile 


Total  time,  four  miles 


1-59 

1.48^ 

i47f 
7.26^ 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE    HOUSE    OF    LEXINGTON 

From  Lexington  and  the  daughters  of  Glencoe 
descended  the  three  horses,  Kentucky,  Norfolk, 
and  Asteroid,  that  made  such  a  great  stir  in  the 
racing  world  at  the  close  of  our  Civil  War. 
Kentucky  was  out  of  Magnolia,  and  he  was  bred 
at  classic  Ashland,  by  John  M.  Clay,  a  son  of 
the  Great  Commoner.  Mr.  Clay,  by  the  way, 
was  one  of  the  most  successful  of  American 
breeders.  October  6,  1863,  Kentucky,  then  two 
years  old,  won  his  first  race  at  Paterson,  New 
Jersey;  and  on  the  7th  of  June,  1864,  at  Pater- 
son, he  lost  his  first  race,  being  defeated  for  the 
Derby  sweepstakes,  one  mile  and  a  half  dash, 
by  his  half-brother  and  rival,  Norfolk,  out  of 
Novice.  This  defeat  led  to  a  long  and  bitter 
controversy.  Norfolk  was  taken  to  California 
by  Mr.  Theodore  Winters,  consequently  the  two 
horses  never  again  met  on  the  turf  to  decide 
the  question  of  superiority. 
322 


The  House  of  Lexington  323 

Immediately  after  winning  his  first  race,  Ken- 
tucky was  sold  to  Mr.  John  F.  Purdy,  who  trans- 
ferred him  to  W.  R.  Travers,  Esq.  His  turf 
career  was  a  brilliant  one,  he  vanquishing  every- 
thing that  presumed  to  cross  his  path.  Ulti- 
mately he  was  sold  to  Mr.  Leonard  W.  Jerome, 
for  ^40,000,  and  later  became  the  property  of 
Mr.  August  Belmont. 

While  Kentucky  was  winning  fame  in  the- 
East,  his  half-brother.  Asteroid,  out  of  Nebula, 
was  achieving  renown  in  the  West.  The  latter 
was  owned  by  his  breeder,  R.  A.  Alexander,  Esq., 
the  proprietor  of  Woodburn,  and  at  Louisville 
he  had  distinguished  himself  by  meeting  and 
triumphing  over  Loadstone,  running  the  first 
mile  of  the  second  heat  of  a  two-mile  race  in 
the  marvellous  time  of  i   minute  44  seconds. 

In  California  Norfolk  was  winning  golden 
opinions.  Lodi  disputed  the  championship  of 
the  Pacific  Coast  with  him,  and  the  races  that 
they  contested  excited  the  admiration  of  the 
world.  First,  Norfolk  defeated  Lodi,  a  son  of 
Yorkshire,  at  the  Union  Park,  Sacramento, 
September  18,  1865,  a  race  of  two-mile  heats. 
This,  however,  was  but  the  prelude  to  a  fiercer 
and  more  sanguinary  batde.     At  the  same  place 


324  The  American  Thowugbhred 

they  came  together,  September  23,  in  a  race  of 
three-mile  heats,  each  confident  of  victory.  The 
struggle  in  the  first  heat  was  terrible,  both  horses 
running  with  astonishing  power,  Norfolk  passing 
the  winning  score  with  Lodi  lapped  upon  his 
quarter,  in  the  unprecedented  time  of  5  minutes 
27^  seconds.  The  second  heat  also  was  won 
by  Norfolk,  in  the  fast  time  of  5  minutes  29^ 
seconds,  Lodi  gaining  coming  down  the  home- 
stretch, with  the  right  fore  foot  spurting  blood 
at  every  stride.  The  spirit  of  the  blood-horse 
is  unconquerable.  He  will  proudly  struggle  on 
through  pain  and  distress,  when  less  heroic 
animals  would  give  up  the  contest. 

Distance  separated  the  three  Lexingtons ;  each 
had  won  renown  on  fields  widely  apart.  Each 
was  claimed  the  superior  of  the  other,  and  it  was 
the  fond  dream  of  enthusiastic  turfmen  to  bring 
them  together  in  a  race  for  the  honors  of  su- 
premacy. But  the  dream  was  never  realized. 
The  controversy  between  the  friends  of  Ken- 
tucky and  Asteroid,  especially,  was  marked  with 
much  feeling,  and  the  names  of  the  two  horses 
were  daily  in  the  mouths  of  thousands. 

In  September,  1866,  the  people  were  gratified 
by  the  announcement  that  Asteroid  had  arrived 


The  House  of  Lexington  325 

at  Jerome  Park,  had  come  from  the  West  to 
meet  Kentucky  on  the  theatre  of  his  triumphs. 
He  was  engaged  to  run  in  the  Inauguration 
Stake,  at  Jerome  Park,  and  Kentucky  could  not 
avoid  meeting  him  here.  When  it  was  known 
that  Asteroid  had  left  his  paddock  at  Woodburn 
to  journey  East,  the  excitement  was  intense  in 
turf  circles,  and  the  trains  brought  to  New  York 
crowds  from  all  parts  of  the  Union,  even  from 
far-off  Texas.  The  coming  race  was  the  all- 
absorbing  topic  of  conversation.  Every  morning 
hundreds  of  visitors  went  out  to  Jerome  Park  to 
see  the  horses  at  work.  Asteroid  was  one  of  the 
grandest  looking  horses  that  ever  trod  the  turf, 
and  one  had  but  to  see  him  to  learn  to  admire. 
Kentucky  was  also  a  magnificent  appearing  ani- 
mal, and  his  friends  maintained  confidence  in 
his  prowess. 

But  one  Sunday  morning  a  gloom  fell  upon  all 
hearts.  Lip  spoke  to  lip,  and  the  intelligence 
rapidly  spread  that  Asteroid  had  broken  down 
in  a  trial  gallop  in  the  mud  —  had  sprung  a 
tendon,  and  his  career  as  a  racer  was  abruptly 
brought  to  a  close.  The  disappointment  was 
great.  Sad  faces  were  seen  on  all  the  drives 
leading  to  the  Park ;  and,  as  the  story  was  told. 


326  The  American  Thoroughbred 

a  tear  dimmed  more  than  one  eye  unused  to 
weeping. 

Asteroid  returned  to  the  West  to  luxuriate  in 
the  stud;  and  the  fond  dream  of  seeing  him 
measure  strides  with  Kentucky  was  at  an  end. 
Kentucky  was  not  satisfied  with  the  laurels  he 
had  won.  He  aspired  to  eclipse  the  great  per- 
formance of  his  sire.  He  was  backed  to  run 
against  time  —  four  miles  in  7  minutes  and  20 
seconds,  carrying   120  pounds. 

The  trial  took  place  Thursday,  October  17, 
1867,  in  the  presence  of  twenty  thousand  people 
at  Jerome  Park,  The  day  was  beautiful,  one 
of  the  softest  of  gloriously  tinted  autumn.  Ken- 
tucky was  badly  ridden,  was  outpaced  in  the  first 
two  miles,  and  he  lost  the  race  by  iif  seconds. 
The  only  time  that  the  people  ever  saw  him 
show  signs  of  distress  on  the  turf  w^as  coming 
down  the  home-stretch,  in  the  last  mile ;  he 
was  weak,  tottering,  and  his  courage  failed  him. 
Had  he  been  properly  managed,  on  that  lovely 
October  day,  we  do  not  think  that  he  could 
have  been  successful.  The  task  was  too  great 
for  him  —  he  was  overmatched.  He  carried  too 
much  weight;  and  every  ounce  tells  upon  the 
speed   and    endurance  of    a   horse,   especially  in 


The  House  of  Lexington  327 

a  struggle  of  four  miles.  By  weight  you  can 
reduce  the  fleetest  and  gamest  racer  in  the 
world  to  the  level  of  the  most  common  hack. 
Kentucky  was  not  a  stronger  horse  than  Lex- 
ington was,  and  Lexington,  when  he  ran  four 
miles  in  7.19!,  carried  but  103  pounds. 

The  rivalry  between  Norfolk,  Asteroid,  and 
Kentucky,  though  exciting  a  little  unpleasant 
feeling  between  men  of  different  sections,  was 
a  good  thing  for  the  turf.  The  war  had  swept 
away  the  racing  institutions  of  the  South,  the 
breeding  studs  were  broken  up,  and  the  blood- 
horse  bridled  and  made  to  do  service  in  the 
army.  When  the  sounds  of  strife  were  heard 
throughout  the  land,  life-currents  gushed  from 
ghastly  wounds,  and  homes  were  desolate,  the 
people  had  no  heart  for  the  pastimes  of  the  turf ; 
racing  was  abandoned,  horses  of  royal  lineage 
scattered;  and,  when  the  war  closed,  the  old 
jockey  clubs  were  disorganized  —  bankrupt. 

The  performances  of  the  three  great  sons  of 
Lexington  roused  sinking  courage  and  directed 
attention  to  the  turf.  It  was  a  theatre  on  which 
men  of  all  political  opinions  could  meet  in  social 
enjoyment;  it  called  the  thoughts  from  the  har- 
rowing scenes  of  the  past  and  gave  a  silver  lining 


328  The  American  Tborougbbred 

to  the  dark  cloud  which  overhung  the  future. 
The  people  were  sick  of  war  and  the  wrangles 
growing  out  of  it,  and  they  turned  to  the  turf 
with  eagerness.  It  was  the  only  practical  means 
of  reunion  at  the  time.  Men  who,  a  few  months 
before,  had  faced  each  other  on  the  battle-field, 
stood  side  by  side  on  the  race-course,  enthusiasti- 
cally applauding  the  silken-coated  thoroughbreds. 
Where  the  horses  ran,  there  the  men  from  the 
South  and  the  men  from  the  North  met  to 
exchange  cordial  greetings. 

The  rivalry  between  Asteroid,  Kentucky,  and 
Norfolk  added  fuel  to  the  flame,  and  the  racing 
fever  grew  hotter  day  after  day.  The  fever 
spread,  and  the  glory  of  the  turf  was  revived  in 
the  North.  Men  of  capital  came  to  the  support 
of  racing,  and  the  management  of  the  parks  was 
made  above  reproach.  Fashion  smiled  upon 
each  enterprise,  and  the  shame  of  the  past  — 
the  disgrace  which  attended  the  decline  of  the 
Long  Island  race-courses  —  was  forgotten.  At 
Paterson,  at  Secaucus,  and  at  Saratoga,  crowds 
assembled  to  witness  the  speed  contests;  and 
when  Jerome  Park  was  constructed  and  the 
gates  thrown  open  to  the  public,  Fashion  erected 
her  throne  on  the  club-house  balcony,  and  from 


The  House  of  Lexington  329 

it  sent  forth  her  imperial  edicts.  As  the  South 
prospered  anew,  she  began  to  reorganize  her 
jockey  clubs,  and  soon  the  turf  was  again  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  Mobile  had  her  Mag- 
nolia Course,  New  Orleans  her  Metairie  Course, 
Memphis  her  Chickasaw  Jockey  Club,  Nashville 
her  Blood-horse  Association,  Louisville  her 
Woodlawn  Course,  Lexington  her  Association 
Course,  St.  Louis  her  Laclede  Jockey  Club,  Cin- 
cinnati her  Buckeye  Jockey  Club,  Zanesville  her 
racing  park,  Chillicothe  the  same,  New  York  her 
Jerome  Park,  and  Saratoga  her  popular  course. 
In  addition  to  these,  running  meetings  imme- 
diately after  the  war  were  held  at  Chicago, 
Narragansett  Park,  Springfield  (Mass.),  Boston, 
Columbus  (Ohio),  and  other  places.  The  two 
New  Jersey  courses,  Paterson  and  Secaucus, 
were  unable  to  stand  up  against  the  powerful 
rivalry  of  Jerome  Park,  but  a  magnificent  rac- 
ing park  at  Long  Branch  was  thrown  open  to 
the  public  in  the  summer  of  1870. 

For  a  few  years  just  preceding  the  war,  and 
during  that  unfortunate  time,  the  turf  in  a  way 
fell  off  lamentably.  The  horses  were  even  of 
higher  abilities  than  the  general  run  of  those 
which    had   preceded    them,    because    continued 


330  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

discretion  in  breeding  had  built  them  up  into  a 
magnificent  type.  But  that  element  which  re- 
gards a  race-horse  as  a  gambling  instrument 
pure  and  simple  had  almost  got  in  control  of 
racing,  especially  in  the  East  where  the  best 
racing  should  have  been  conducted. 

It  was  when  Jerome  Park  was  opened,  in  1866, 
that  practically  a  new  era  was  begun,  and  we 
saw  for  the  first  time  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York 
courses  crowded  with  the  wealth  and  aristocracy 
and  fashion  of  the  city. 

This  course  at  Fordham  was  fitted  up  with  all 
the  elegances  that  wealth  could  purchase,  and 
there  is  not  in  existence  a  track  to-day  which 
is  so  beautiful    to    the   eye  as  Jerome  Park  was. 

Nor  do  we  yet  have  race  meetings  where  the 
sport  itself  is  conducted  upon  a  higher  plane, 
or  at  which  horses  run  grander  races,  than 
they  did  over  the  irregular-shaped  pieces  of 
ground  at  Fordham.  The  rough  element  who 
had  made  the  tracks  about  New  York  unpopu- 
lar for  the  last  ten  or  fifteen  years  w^ere  kept 
completely  in  subjection,  and  Dame  Fashion 
flaunted  her  skirts  on  the  bright  Jerome  after- 
noons without  fear. 

The  most  distinguished  men    in    the    country 


The  House  of  Lexington  331 

visited  Jerome  Park  and  were  entertained  there 
by  private  parties.  The  gowns  to  be  seen  were 
as  rich  as  those  one  may  admire  at  the  Grand 
Prix  in  Paris.  One  afternoon  General  Grant, 
Admiral  Farragut,  and  Madame  Ristori  were 
separately  guests  of  different  parties  at  the 
Jerome  Park  races.  The  fame  of  the  meetings 
at  Jerome  Park  spread  over  the  country  and 
stimulated  the  organization  of  new  jockey  clubs 
on  high  planes  of  conduct  and  led  to  the  re- 
vival of  some  of  the  old  institutions.  There 
was  a  distinct  improvement  in  the  odor  of  the 
turf;  and  it  has  never  since  been  permitted  to 
become  degraded,  though  it  has  stood  many 
storms  and  has  been  many  times  threatened. 
William  Travers  Jerome,  August  Belmont,  M. 
H.  Sanford,  R.  W.  Cameron,  Lewis  G.  Morris, 
one  of  the  oldest  of  Eastern  breeders,  began 
to  be  conspicuous  as  owners.  The  success  of 
Jerome  Park  stimulated  the  Southerners  to 
action,  and  they  began  to  build  up  their  broken 
fences,  and  once  more  the  thoroughbred  came 
into  his  own  in  the  South. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

HARRY    BASSETT    AND    LONGFELLOW 

Since  the  days  of  the  reconstruction  of  the 
turf  there  has  been  such  a  great  number  of 
splendid  races  run  upon  American  courses  that 
to  enumerate  all  of  them  would  require  volumes. 
We  can  have  affair  only  with  those  great  individ- 
uals which  came  out  from  time  to  time  between 
the  years  of  the  great  four-mile  past  and  the 
present. 

It  was  1870  before  another  real  champion  ap- 
peared in  this  country.  That  was  Harry  Bassett. 
Harry  Bassett  was  as  a  race-horse  what  Bona- 
parte was  as  a  military  chieftain.  He  had  his 
victories  and  he  met  with  disasters,  but  whether 
the  victor  or  the  defeated,  he  was  the  central 
figure  upon  which  all  eyes  rested.  It  was  the 
popular  tribute  to  greatness.  The  vox  populi 
said  he  was  great ;  and  the  same  voice  which  pro- 
claimed him  great  as  the  conqueror  of  the  Bel- 
mont, the  Kenner,  and  the  Dixie,  when  he  died 
332 


Harry  B  as  sett  and  Longfellow         333 

drew  the  mantle  of  charity  about  him  and  re- 
gretted that  he  had  his  Maturity,  as  the  French 
will  ever  mourn  that  Bonaparte  had  his  Waterloo. 

Harry  Bassett  was  foaled  in  1868,  bred  by  Mr. 
A.  J.  Alexander,  Woodburn  Stud,  Spring  Station, 
Kentucky,  by  Lexington,  dam  Canary  Bird  by 
imported  Albion.  Harry  Bassett  was  a  rich 
golden  chestnut,  with  two  white  stockings  be- 
hind, and  a  diamond-shaped  spot  commencing 
above  the  eyes,  and  extending  well  down  to  the 
nostrils.  At  the  yearling  sale  of  Woodburn 
Stud,  1869,  he  was  purchased  by  Colonel  David 
McDaniel,  of  Stony  Brook,  at  $315.  His  ap- 
pearance at  that  early  age  gave  no  promise  of 
his  brilliant  future.  He  was  then  of  rather 
medium  size,  and  no  one  was  more  than  passively 
impressed  by  his  form.  He  was  brought  East, 
and  Colonel  McDaniel  was  much  pleased  with 
his  new  purchase. 

He  was  trained  the  following  spring  and  soon 
developed  the  easy  way  of  getting  over  the 
ground  and  the  high  rate  of  speed  which  after- 
ward gave  him  so  many  grand  successes  over 
all  rivals.  He  was  a  colt  of  remarkable  constitu- 
tion, a  liberal  feeder,  and  had  perfect  health, 
therefore    trained    kindly,    and    was    remarkably 


334  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

precocious  as  a  youngster.  This  was  unusual 
with  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Lexington,  who, 
as  a  rule,  wanted  age  to  sustain  their  remarkable 
powers.  It  is  altogether  probable  that  he  in- 
herited his  early  developed  qualities  from  his 
grandsire  Albion,  whose  offspring  were  gener- 
ally smart  young  things  and  captured  most  of 
the  two-year-old  events  which  fell  in  their  way. 
He  had  the  form  of  the  Albions  from  the  girth 
back,  being  unusually  round  of  body,  with  hoop- 
like ribs,  perhaps  slightly  light  in  the  flank  when 
in  racing  form,  excellent  back  and  loin,  and 
smooth,  well-turned  quarters,  as  finished  as  an 
artist's  model.  His  legs  were  perfect,  and  he 
inherited  these  from  both  sides.  From  the  girth 
forward  he  was  the  picture  of  Colonel  William 
R.  Johnson's  beau  ideal  of  a  horse,  Sir  Archy. 
His  fore  feet  stood  back  almost  under  the  girth 
—  so  far  back  that  he  seemed,  to  lean  over  —  but 
his  fore  legs  were  strong,  his  arms  broad,  with  long, 
smooth  muscles  bracing  them  like  plates  of  steel 
laid  one  upon  another,  with  that  accuracy  that 
nature  alone  is  the  author  of.  The  withers  were 
slightly  higher  than  the  apex  of  the  loin  and 
croup,  and  his  neck  rose  beautifully,  arched  like 
that  of  Sir  Archy,  and  the  whole  contour  of  his 


Harry  Bassett  and  Longfelbw         335 

head  and  neck  were  remarkably  similar  to  those 
of  his  distinguished  ancestor.  His  countenance 
was  bright,  intelligent,  and  impressive,  but  in 
front  he  was  not  of  the  smooth  mould  in  sym- 
metry that  he  was  in  the  rear.  He  was  strong, 
powerful,  and  good  in  front;  in  rear  he  was 
smooth  and  elegant. 

His  first  appearance  in  public  was  at  Sara- 
toga, July  15,  1870,  when  two  years  old.  The 
McDaniel  confederacy  were  sure  of  victory,  and 
played  the  colt  to  win  a  heavy  stake  through  the 
pool-box.  They  did  not  believe  he  could  lose. 
The  contest  was  for  the  Saratoga  Stakes,  a  dash 
of  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  When  the  flag  fell 
and  he  was  urged  forward,  the  colt  (then  un- 
named) made  a  blunder,  fell  to  his  knees,  and 
came  near  unseating  his  jockey.  He  did  not  get 
away  until  all  chances  of  winning  were  extin- 
guished. He  continued  the  pursuit,  however, 
and  finished  third  to  Mary  Louise  and  Mr. 
Jerome's  filly  by  Kentucky  out  of  Ariel.  Temp- 
tress, Elsie,  Mascus,  Idaho,  Fanchon,  and  His 
Lordship  were  behind   him. 

Saratoga,  August  13,  he  won  the  Kentucky 
Stakes,  one  mile,  beating  Buckshot,  Susan 
Beane,    Aureola,    Mr.    Morris's    Eclipse-Slasher 


33^  The  American  Tborotigbbred 

Barbarity  filly,  Mr.  Withers'  Leamington-Bapta 
filly,  Idaho,  and  Lilla  Harness  in  1.5 1  J. 
Jerome  Park,  October  5,  he  won  the  Nursery 
Stakes,  beating  O'Donnell's  Lightning-Sove- 
reign filly,  Elsie,  Fanchon,  Mary  Clark,  Todd's 
Harry  Booth-Engineer  colt.  Frivolity,  Aureola, 
Girl  of  My  Heart,  Precedent,  Mr.  Jerome's 
Kentucky-Mary  Biddle  filly,  Mr.  Hoxey's  Engi- 
neer-Planet filly,  Ethel  Sprague,  Leme,  and  the 
Kentucky- Ariel  filly,  time  149  J.  Baltimore, 
October  26,  he  won  the  Supper  Stakes,  beating 
Madame  Dudley,  one  mile,  in  149 J.  This  closed 
his  two-year-old  career,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
but  for  his  mishap  in  his  first  race  he  would 
have  won  all  of  his  engagements.  His  winnings 
for  the  year  amounted  to  ^7100. 

Harry  Bassett  began  his  third  year  in  public 
at  Jerome  Park,  June  8,  where  he  won  the  Bel- 
mont Stakes,  one  mile  and  five  furlongs,  beating 
Stockwood,  By  the  Sea,  John  Merryman,  New- 
port, Mary  Clark,  Wanderer,  Tubman,  Mon- 
archist, Nellie  Gray,  and  Edwin  in  2.56.  Long 
Branch,  July  4,  he  won  the  Jersey  Derby,  one 
mile  and  a  half,  beating  Monarchist,  Idaho, 
Wanderer,  Collodia,  Rounder,  Nathan  Oaks, 
Astronomer,    and     George    Wallace     in     2.5  2  J. 


Harry  Bassett  and  Longfellow         337 

Saratoga,  July  12,  he  won  the  Travers  Stakes, 
one  mile  and  three-quarters,  beating  Nellie  Gray, 
Alroy,  Hampton,  George  Wallace,  Eolus,  and 
By  the  Sea  in  3.21  J.  Same  place,  August  12, 
won  Kenner  Stakes,  two  miles,  beating  Nellie 
Ransom,  Alroy,  Winesap,  Eolus,  Nathan  Oaks, 
and  Express  in  3.35J.  Jerome  Park,  October  7, 
won  Champion  Stakes,  two  miles,  beating  Mon- 
archist, Alroy,  Mary  Clark,  Nellie  Ransom,  and 
Stockwood  in  3.54f.  Same  place,  October  14, 
won  purse  of  $600,  one  mile  and  three-quarters, 
beating  Finesse,  Judge  Durrell,  Morlacchi,  and 
Vespucius  in  3.i6|-.  Baltimore,  October  24, 
walked  over  for  the  Reunion  Stakes,  two  miles. 
Same  place,  October  25,  beat  Preakness  and 
Telegram,  two  miles  and  a  half,  for  a  purse  of 
$800,  in  5.4 1  J.  Same  place,  October  30,  beat 
Helmbold  for  the  Bowie  Stakes,  four-mile  heats, 
over  a  course  deep  in  mud,  in  7.54J,  8.03!^. 

This  closed  his  history  as  a  three-year-old. 
He  ran  nine  times  without  losing  a  heat  or 
race.  His  winnings  for  the  year  amounted  to 
the  sum  of  $33,350.  Several  of  his  races  were 
run  over  heavy  tracks.  This  was  the  case  in 
the  Travers  at  Saratoga,  and  also  when  he  beat 
Preakness    and     Telegram     at     Baltimore,    and 


338  The  American  Tborougbhred 

Helmbold,  at  the  same  place,  for  the  Bowie 
Stakes.  He  met  horses  of  acknowledged  merit 
in  all  of  his  races.  The  mention  of  the  names 
of  Mary  Clarke,  Morlacchi,  Wanderer,  Mon- 
archist, Nellie  Gray,  Preakness,  Helmbold,  and 
Stockwood  is  sufficient  evidence  of  this  fact. 

Entering  his  fourth  year,  Hariy  Bassett  had 
more  reputation  as  a  successful  race-horse  than 
any  other  then  upon  the  turf.  At  this  time 
there  was  a  horse  in  Kentucky  who  had,  by 
repeated  conqu^ests  in  the  South  and  East,  made 
an  impression  upon  the  people  of  the  former 
section  that  he  was  able  to  compete  successfully 
with  this  magnificent  son  of  Lexington.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  that  this  was  Longfellow, 
the  son  of  imported  Leamington  out  of  Nantura 
by  Counterplot,  alias  Brawner's  Eclipse.  He 
was  a  year  older  than  Harry  Bassett,  was  a  rich 
brown,  of  massive  frame  and  prodigious  speed, 
was  owned  by  Mr.  John  Harper,  an  old  bachelor, 
the  possessor  of  a  fine  estate  in  the  region  of 
blue-grass,  in  Kentucky.  He  had  a  keen  taste 
for  a  fine  horse,  had  had  years  of  experience  on 
the  turf  and  also  in  rearing  and  breeding  racers. 
To  a  strong  mind  and  sound  native  judgment 
he  had  the  advantage  of  a  familiarity  with  horse- 


Harry  Bassett  and  Longfellow         339 

flesh  through  these  long  years,  and,  as  he  was 
of  a  reflective  cast  of  mind,  necessarily  profited 
by  the  advantages  of  extended  observation. 
Longfellow  was  a  great  favorite  with  Mr.  Harper. 
When  a  conqueror  of  Harry  Bassett  was  sought 
for  by  those  who  believed  he  was  overrated  as 
a  horse  of  courage,  all  eyes  naturally  turned  to 
Kentucky,  to  Longfellow,  as  the  only  horse 
within  the  limits  of  the  Union  to  successfully 
perform  the  task. 

Gentlemen  visiting  the  East  during  the  year 
1 87 1  had  seen  Nellie  Gray,  Nellie  Ransom, 
Stockwood,  Monarchist,  Alroy,  Mary  Clark, 
Helmbold,  Wanderer,  Elsie,  Mary  Louise,  and 
other  acknowledged  good  ones  go  down  before 
the  terrible  stride  of  the  Eastern  crack.  At 
these  repeated  results  they  were  both  disappointed 
and  chagrined.  It  is  known  to  all  habitues  of 
the  race-course  that 

"  Hope  springs  eternal  in  tlie  human  breast " 

to  conquer  any  courser  who  may  become  the 
chief  of  chieftains  in  his  day. 

When  gentlemen  from  the  South  gave  it  as 
their  opinion  that  Longfellow  could  beat  Bassett, 
Eastern  turfmen  laughed  at  the  idea,  and  offered 


340  The  American  Thoroughbred 

to  back  their  favorite  heavily.  Longfellow  and 
Mr.  Harper  had  visited  the  East  during  the  year 

1 87 1,  and  although  he  made  much  reputation  as 
a  o^ood  horse,  he  met  defeat  at  the  hands  of 
Helmbold,  at  Saratoga,  on  a  heavy  track,  over  the 
longest  course  known  to  the  turf  in  modern  times. 
This  was  very  mortifying  to  Mr.  Harper  and  his 
Southern  friends,  so  that  next  year,  when  the 
respective  admirers  of  the  two  horses  began  to 
discuss  their  relative  merits,  and  arguments 
waxed  warmer  with  each  successive  meeting, 
Mr.  Harper  decided  to  again  make  the  circuit  of 
the  East  and  test  the  strength  of  the  great 
favorite. 

In  the  meantime   Harry   Bassett  entered    upon 
his  third  campaign.     At   Jerome    Park,  June    8, 

1872,  he  defeated  Lyttleton  for  the  Westchester 
Cup,  two  miles  and  a  quarter,  in  4.18J;  no  others 
started.  Lyttleton  was  the  stable  companion  of 
Longfellow,  and  in  point  of  merit  was  understood 
to  be  only  a  shade  inferior  to  his  celebrated 
associate.  He  was  sent  out  in  this  contest,  there- 
fore, as  was  understood  at  the  time,  to  take  the 
measure  of  Harry  Bassett.  Same  place,  June  13, 
he  distanced  Matella,  in  the  first  heat  of  two 
miles,  in  3.39J.     Up  to  this  time   Harry  Bassett 


Harry  Bassett  and  Longfellow         341 

had  won  fourteen  races  without  losing  a  heat 
or  race. 

Long  Branch  was  the  next  point.  Both  Harry 
Bassett  and  Longfellow  were  engaged  in  the 
Monmouth  Cup,  a  dash  of  two  miles  and  a  half. 
It  was  placed  on  the  programme  of  July  2.  An 
immense  concourse  of  people  assembled  to  wit- 
ness the  trial  of  the  issues  joined  between  the 
rival  celebrities  for  first  honors,  and  a  more 
thoroughly  disappointed  assemblage  has  rarely 
gathered  on  an  American  race-course.  Longfel- 
low won  with  such  ease  as  to  throw  suspicion 
upon  the  fairness  of  the  contest,  and  the  criticisms 
of  the  press,  though  evidently  without  the  facts  to 
justify  them,  were  severe  beyond  measure.  Harry 
Bassett  was  found  to  be  out  of  condition,  and 
Colonel  Mc Daniel  took  him  promptly  in  hand 
for  the  Saratoga  meeting,  where  he  was  again 
engaged  to  meet  the  great  Kentuckian. 

Uncle  John  Harper  brought  Longfellow  to  the 
North  primarily  to  win  the  Monmouth  Cup,  and 
secondarily  to  beat  Harry  Bassett.  Both  those 
things  Longfellow  did  in  such  a  way  that  the 
Eastern  world  acclaimed  him.  After  Monmouth 
came  the  meeting  at  Saratoga,  It  was  in  the 
middle  of  July  of  the  year  1872.     Above  every 


342  Tbe  American  Tbowugbbred 

other  feature  which  the  racing  season  then  had 
to  offer  was  the  meeting  for  the  second  time 
between  Harry  Bassett  and  Longfellow.  It  was 
then  generally  known  that  at  their  previous  intro- 
duction Harry  Bassett  had  not  been  quite  himself, 
and  his  signal  defeat  in  the  Monmouth  Cup  was 
attributed  to  lack  of  condition. 

At  Saratoga  no  such  excuse  could  be  offered 
for  him,  because  he  was  as  perfect  in  bone,  sinew, 
muscle,  and  flesh  as  human  hands  could  make  him 
when  he  lined  up  alongside  the  horse  from  Ken- 
tucky for  the  two  miles  and  a  quarter  of  the 
Saratoga  Cup. 

And  it  was  such  a  race !  On  that  brilliant 
Saratoga  afternoon  when  Longfellow  appeared 
in  front  of  the  stand  with  all  his  lofty  grandeur 
of  appearance  and  marks  of  high  estate  he  was 
loudly  cheered.  Harry  Bassett  was  well  received 
by  his  friends,  but  the  multitude  favored  the  big 
one  from  old  Kentucky. 

They  cantered  to  the  head  of  the  stretch  to- 
gether, turned,  and  broke  away  head  and  head  at 
the  first  jump.  There  was  a  third  horse  in  the 
race,  but  he  cut  no  figure.  At  the  very  start  it  is 
almost  certain  that  Longfellow  struck  the  quarter 
of  his  near  fore  foot  and  twisted  his  plate. 


Harry  Bassett  and  Longfellow         343 

They  came  on  at  a  strong  pace,  Harry  Bassett 
slightly  in  the  lead,  and  at  the  stand  the  latter 
was  a  short  length  ahead.  Longfellow  ran  under 
a  very  hard  pull.  He  soon  got  to  Bassett's  girths 
and  then  was  taken  back  again.  It  seemed  that 
he  could  have  collared  Harry  Bassett  at  any 
time.  The  first  mile  back  to  the  head  of  the 
stretch  was  run  in  1.45 J.  Coming  down  the 
home-stretch  the  second  time  the  pace  was  in- 
creased to  the  stand,  where  Longfellow  was  at 
Bassett's  head.  On  the  turn,  running  on  the 
inside,  Bassett  led  a  little  again.  But  once  more 
Longfellow  hauled  up  on  him  and  was  going 
strongly  and  gamely.  All  this  time  he  must  have 
been  much  incom.moded  by  the  plate,  which  had 
doubled  itself  and  bedded  into  the  sole  of  his  foot. 

They  had  now  run  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  the 
pace  for  the  last  half-mile  had  been  very  great. 
It  had  been  run  in  better  than  50  seconds. 
Soon  after  passing  the  quarter-pole  Longfellow 
faltered  in  his  stride,  and  his  rider  had  to  call  on 
him.  It  was  the  first  call  which  he  had  heard 
in  that  season.  He  answered  with  the  finest 
resolution. 

But  something  had  gone  wrong.  Longfellow 
faltered,  gave    a   lurch    in    his   stride,  and   then 


344  Tbe  American  Tbormigbbred 

spread  his  fore  legs  so  wide  that  you  might  have 
rolled  a  barrel  between  them.  The  boy  pulled 
him  together  and  called  upon  him  the  second 
time.  With  a  noble  effort  he  got  up  to  Bas- 
sett's  girths  again,  as  the  latter  was  doing  all 
he  knew. 

Longfellow,  wabbling  in  his  stride,  still  fight- 
ing, still  struggling,  still  answering  the  call  of 
his  boy,  forced  Harry  Bassett  out  to  the  very 
last  ounce  to  beat  him  a  length. 

The  shouts  of  the  great  multitude  rent  the 
afternoon  air.  But  the  acclamation  for  Harry 
Bassett  was  quickly  and  gallantly  changed  to 
expressions  of  sorrow  for  Longfellow  when  they 
saw  the  Kentucky  horse  trying  to  pull  up. 
When  the  boy  endeavored  to  stop  the  big  horse, 
Longfellow's  pain  was  so  terrible  that  twice  he 
came  near  falling  on  his  head.  With  difficulty 
he  finally  came  to  a  standstill,  and  then,  as  he 
limped  back  to  the  judges'  stand  his  progress 
was  marked  by  only  three  hoof-prints  in  the 
dust  of  the  course.  The  fourth  foot  he  did  not 
put  down  at  all. 

After  the  race  the  great  horse  stood  in  his 
box,  holding  the  foot  upon  its  mangled  edge, 
and  as  each  visitor  came  in   he   would  turn   his 


Harry  Bassett  and  Longfelbw         345 

large  eyes  upon  him  and  then  drop  them  to  his 
foot,  as  if  asking  sympathy  for  his  misfortune. 
Old  John  Harper  of  Kentucky,  who  had  brought 
a  real  race-horse  to  a  good  man's  country  to  meet 
the  best  of  them,  sat  leaning  on  his  stick,  gazing 
at  the  horse,  with  big  tears  trickling  down  his 
face. 

Small  wonder,  then,  that  when  Longfellow  was 
loaded  on  the  cars  and  old  John  Harper  headed 
himself  mournfully  away  for  the  blue-grass  land, 
where  the  future  home  for  Longfellow  must  be, 
that  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  the  men  who 
love  a  horse  for  the  things  which  a  horse  may 
do  crowded  about  the  car  to  see  the  last  of  the 
hero  that  had  come  and  had  conquered,  and  had 
gone  away  with  defeat  upon  him  only  because 
the  wounds  of  his  strife  barred  him  from  victory. 

The  meeting  at  Saratoga  began  July  13,  and 
on  that  day  Harry  Bassett  won  the  All-Aged 
Sweepstakes,  one  mile  and  a  quarter,  beating 
Victoria,  Lyttleton,  and  Ortolan  in  2.ii\. 

Same  place,  July  19,  Bassett  again  defeated 
Lyttleton,  this  time  at  three  miles,  in  5.43f. 
Same  place,  August  21,  he  beat  Mary  Louise 
two  miles  and  a  quarter  over  a  heavy  course  in 
5.06.      He   won   by   twenty   lengths.      He  then 


346  The  American  Thoroughbred 

came  to  Jerome  Park,  where  he  won  a  three- 
quarter  mile  dash,  beating  Elsie,  Fadladeen, 
Lochiel,  Hattie  O'Neil,  Nema,  Henrietta,  and 
Wheatley  in  i.iyf.  This  race  was  run  Octo- 
ber 2,  and  on  the  5th  he  was  defeated  by 
Monarchist  for  the  Maturity  Stakes  in  5.34J, 
and  at  the  same  place,  October  1 2,  he  was  again 
defeated  by  Monarchist  at  four  miles. 

Thus  ended  his  fourth  year,  the  third  of  his 
eventful  career  upon  the  turf.  He  ran  twelve 
races,  of  which  he  won  nine,  of  the  net  value  of 
$9130.  The  reader  will  observe,  however,  that 
Harry  Bassett  did  not  retain  to  the  close  of 
the  season  unimpaired  the  extraordinary  powers 
which  he  displayed  in  the  preceding  season. 

He  first  appeared  as  a  five-year-old  at  Saratoga, 
July  26,  where  he  was  unplaced  to  Crockford, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile,  in  1.17J.  Same  place, 
July  29,  he  was  second  to  his  stable  companion, 
Joe  Daniels,  for  the  Saratoga  Cup.  Joe  Daniels 
had  been  selected  for  first  place.  True  Blue 
was  third,  and  Wanderer  unplaced.  The  track 
was  muddy  and  holding,  and  Harry  Bassett 
made  the  running;  time,  4.iof.  Same  place, 
August  2,  he  was  third  to  Hubbard  and  Wan- 
derer, at  three  miles,  in  5.34. 


Harry  Bassett  and  Longfellow         347 

Jerome  Park,  October  4,  he  was  unplaced  to 
Preakness  for  the  Manhattan  Handicap.  Same 
place,  October  11,  he  was  second  to  Preakness 
for  the  Grand  National  Handicap,  two  miles  and 
a  quarter,  in  4.08 J.  Same  place,  October  15,  won 
Handicap  Sweepstakes,  two  miles,  beating  Katie 
Pease,  Merodac,  Village  Blacksmith,  Victoria, 
Warlike,  and  Wheatley  in  3.39f. 

Baltimore,  October  25,  beat  Shylock,  Warlike, 
M.  A.  B.,  Dick  Jackson,  and  Lady  Clyde,  two- 
mile  heats,  in  the  mud,  in  3.56,  3.5 7 J.  M.  A.  B., 
Lady  Clyde,  and  Dick  Jackson  were  distanced 
in  the  first  heat.  October  27,  was  distanced  by 
True  Blue  in  the  first  heat  of  four  miles;  time 
7.49.  The  winnings  of  Harry  Bassett  this  year 
amounted  to  $1600. 

Entering  his  sixth  and  last  year,  Harry  Bas- 
sett appeared  first  at  Jerome  Park,  October  3, 
1874.  He  had  closed  the  preceding  year  so 
much  impaired  that  he  was  not  brought  to  the 
post  during  the  early  part  of  the  season.  He 
was  beaten  in  his  first  race,  three-quarters  of 
a  mile,  by  Countess,  with  Mr.  Cameron's  War- 
minster-Sophia  filly  second,  and  Harry  Bassett 
third,  Audubon  and  Lotta  Moon  behind  him ; 
time    i.i6|.      Same    place,    October   7,   he    was 


348  Tbe  American  Tbowugbbred 

unplaced    to    Grinstead,    mile    and    a    half,    in 


40f 


Baltimore,  October  20,  he  won  a  dash  of  one 
mile,  beating  a  field  of  fifteen,  as  follows :  Gray 
Planet,  Lotta  Moon,  Audubon,  Stanford,  Keene 
Richards,  Storm,  Chief  Engineer,  Boz,  Carolina, 
Resolute,  Rosebud,  Frank,  O'Neil,  First  Chance, 
and  Jury,  in  1.44J.  This  exhibition  of  speed 
revived  the  hopes  of  the  Mc Daniel  confederacy, 
for  the  great  horse  seemed  to  be  himself  again. 
How  uncertain  are  calculations  upon  the  future ! 
This  was  a  striking  repetition  of  this  fact,  for 
two  days  after,  October  22,  he  ran  his  last  race. 
He  started  in  a  contest  of  two  miles  and  a  half, 
and  was  cut  down  by  Balankeel,  and  unplaced  in 
the  race.  The  wound  he  received,  which  in  all 
probability  deprived  him  of  a  brilliant  victory, 
was  on  the  hind  leg  just  below  the  hock,  and 
it  was  so  severe  that  he  carried  the  evidence 
of  it  to  the  day  of  his  death.  His  winnings  for 
the  year  were  ^350,  and  he  won  during  his 
remarkable  turf  existence  the  handsome  sum  of 
$51,530. 

He  now  retired  and  went  into  the  stud  at 
Stony  Brook.  There  his  success  was  wholly 
inadequate  to  his  merit. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

TURF    AFFAIRS    OF    CALIFORNIA 

The  next  events  which  attracted  national 
attention  after  these  contests  between  Long- 
fellow and  Harry  Bassett  were  the  four-mile 
races  of  California.  The  early  pioneers,  going 
out  to  that  new  country  and  travelling  across 
the  plains,  took  with  them  some  of  the  best 
stock  that  had  been  bred  in  America.  Just  as 
it  took  a  man  of  unusual  quality  to  stand  the 
pains  and  distresses  of  the  overland  journey,  so 
it  required  a  horse  of  unusual  stamina  and 
courage  to  face  the  fatigue  and  the  trials 
attendant  upon  such  a  long  and  arduous  trip. 

The  majority  of  the  early  movers  to  Cali- 
fornia were  Southerners,  and  when  they  started 
on  the  dim  trail  from  Saint  Joe,  Missouri,  it  was 
the  habit  of  each  Southern  man  to  have  for 
himself  as  a  mount  the  best  horse  available. 
It  occurred,  then,  that  many  thoroughbreds  were 
taken  across  the  plains  to  the   Pacific    coast    in 

349 


350  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

those  early  days  of  the  settlement  of  that  coun- 
try, and  almost  at  the  birth  of  California  they 
began  breeding  and  racing  out  there.  The 
strains  of  blood  were  drawn  from  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  Virginia,  and  even  from  Old  England. 

As  a  result  of  this,  there  had  grown  up  in 
California  a  number  of  breeding  establishments, 
and  in  1876  were  founded  two  of  the  most 
famous  ones  we  have  had  in  America.  E.  J. 
Baldwin,  the  mining  operator,  otherwise  known 
as  "  Lucky  "  Baldwin,  began  the  systematic  breed- 
ing of  thoroughbreds  at  his  now  famous  Santa 
Anita  ranch  near  Los  Angeles,  California.  In 
the  same  year  United  States  Senator  Leland 
Stanford  established  Palo  Alto.  Both  gentlemen 
went  to  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  for  the  foun- 
dation of  their  studs.  Baldwin  bought  Grin- 
stead  and  Rutherford.  Senator  Stanford  secured 
Wildidle,  a  son  of  that  mare  Idlewild  whose  name 
has  been  mentioned  in  this  story  as  being  the 
most  brilliant  daughter  of  Lexington. 

Racing  in  the  East  at  that  time  were  True 
Blue,  Katie  Pease,  and  other  horses  of  some 
renown  over  a  distance  of  ground.  The  Cali- 
fornians  have  always  been  most  excellent  sports- 
men.    They  had    in    their  own  country  a  horse 


Turf  Affairs  of  California  351 

called  Thad  Stevens.  He  had  defeated  every- 
thing in  his  own  land,  and  the  Californians  had 
an  idea  that  he  was  the  best  horse  in  America  at 
going  the  old-time  distances.  The  result  of  the 
thought  was  the  offering  of  a  great  purse  to  be 
run  on  the  Ocean  Course  at  San   Francisco. 

The  great  four-mile  heat  race  for  the  $20,000 
purse  given  by  the  Pacific  Jockey  Club  took 
place  at  the  Ocean  View  Park,  on  November  15, 
1873.  It  had  been  looked  forward  to  by  the 
turfmen  of  both  the  East  and  West  as  the 
great  event  of  the  year,  and  the  interest  ex- 
hibited as  to  the  result  was  not  confined  to 
any  section  of  the  country.  But  it  turned  out  a 
comparatively  poor  affair  after  all.  So  far  as 
the  attendance  was  concerned,  the  efforts  of  the 
Jockey  Club  were  rewarded  with  a  grand  success ; 
for  never  before  did  so  many  people  come  to- 
gether to  witness  any  race  on  the  Pacific  coast 
as  congregated  at  the  Ocean  View,  the  attendance 
far  exceeding  in  point  of  numbers  and  respecta- 
bility the  great  contests  between  Norfolk  and 
Lodi  in    1865. 

The  entries  were  four  in  number — Thad 
Stevens,  aged,  by  Langford  out  of  Mary  Chilton, 
114  pounds;  True  Blue,  four  years,  by  Lexing- 


352  The  American  Tboroughbred 

ton  out  of  Balloon,  io8  pounds;  Joe  Daniels, 
four  years,  by  Australian  out  of  Dolly  Carter,  io8 
pounds;  Hubbard,  four  years,  by  Planet  out  of 
Minnie  Mansfield,  io8  pounds;  and  Mamie  Hall, 
aged,  by  Norfolk.  Of  these  the  speedy  son  of 
Planet  was  the  only  absentee,  he  having  gone 
amiss  in  his  training  several  days  prior  to  the 
race.  Had  he  come  to  the  post  in  good  con- 
dition, the  interest  would  have  been  greatly 
augmented,  and  he  would  have  received  strong 
support.  As  it  was,  however,  the  race  was  the 
only  topic  of  conversation  during  the  week,  and 
speculation  as  to  the  result  was  general.  Every- 
body that  was  anybody  had  an  opinion  to  venti- 
late. Thad  Stevens  was  very  naturally  "  booked  " 
by  the  Californians,  and  his  victory  over  Joe 
Daniels  but  a  month  previously,  when  he  won  a 
second  heat  in  7.30  (the  best  second  heat  then 
on  record)  clearly  indicated  that  he  was  worthy 
of  being  rated  with  the  best  long-distance  horses 
of  the  day.  Joe  Daniels  had  also  many  friends 
who  laid  their  money  without  fear ;  and  the  most 
recent  arrival  from  the  East,  True  Blue,  was 
highly  thought  of.  But  many  argued  that  the 
latter's  long  journey  by  rail  put  the  chances  of 
his  winning  beyond  the  range  of  possibility,  and 


Turf  Affairs  of  California  353 

that  he  could  not,  in  the  short  time  intervening 
between  his  arrival  and  the  day  of  the  race,  be 
"  keyed  up  "  sufficiently  to  beat  such  horses  as  he 
would  have  to  encounter. 

When  the  horses  were  in  turn  brought  out, 
they  were  the  cynosure  of  fifty  thousand  eyes, 
and  each  underwent  a  critical  examination.  Joe 
Daniels,  the  game  and  speedy  son  of  Australian 
and  Dolly  Carter,  was  the  first  to  put  in  an 
appearance.  He  moved  along  the  track  with  a 
springy,  elastic  step,  and  his  action  in  his  pre- 
liminary canter  was  greatly  admired  by  the  multi- 
tude present.  Many  of  the  good  judges  thought 
that  he  was  drawn  a  trifle  too  fine  for  such  a  long 
and  severe  race ;  and  those  who  had  seen  him  in 
his  best  form  at  the  Eastern  tracks,  when  he  was 
under  the  watchful  eye  and  control  of  one  of 
the  captains  of  the  "  Old  Guard,"  the  veteran 
McDaniel,  averred  that  Joe  was  not  himself,  and 
boldly  gave  it  as  their  opinion  that  he  would 
not  last  the  race  out.  But  the  gallant  manner 
in  which  he  acquitted  himself  in  the  terrific  con- 
test that  followed  showed  that  the  "  prophets " 
had  counted  without  their  host.  About  a  minute 
afterward,  the  pride  of  California,  the  mighty 
Thad    Stevens,  was    led  past  the  stand,  and  in- 


354  The  American  Thoroughbred 

stantly  a  rousing  cheer  broke  the  stiHness  that 
prevailed,  and  the  excitement  of  the  day  was 
inaugurated.  He  looked  well,  and  it  was  quite 
evident  to  the  experienced  eye  that  George  Treat 
had  given  him  the  "grand  preparation."  He 
looked  like  anything  but  a  race-horse  and  was 
possessed  of  as  sensational  a  history  as  any  horse 
in  America.  As  he  galloped  off  in  his  warming-up 
exercise.  True  Blue  came  into  view,  led  by  his 
trainer,  the  crafty  Tim  Robbins,  and  the  gallant 
little  representative  of  the  Lexington  line  also 
received  a  warm  reception.  His  coat  was  glossy 
and  his  eye  was  bright,  but  he  had  a  nervous, 
restless  appearance.  He  looked  every  inch  the 
race-horse,  and  his  party  was  full  of  confidence. 
In  the  meantime  there  was  the  wildest  excitement 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  betting  stand,  where 
everybody  seemed  to  be  striving  to  become 
financially  interested  in  the  result  of  the  great 
struggle  about  to  take  place.  Thad  Stevens  was 
in  such  great  demand  that  he  speedily  became 
the  favorite  over  the  field,  the  figures  in  the  last 
pool  sold  being  as  follows:  Thad  Stevens,  $340; 
True  Blue,  $155;  Joe  Daniels,  $75;  and  Mamie 
Hall,  ^6.  True  Blue  was  backed  mainly  by  his 
own  party,  many  of  the  betting  division  having 


Ttirf  Affairs  of  California  355 

preferred  to  take  the  off  chance  on  Joe  Daniels 
when  it  came  out  that  True  Blue's  jockey  had 
instructions  to  make  the  running  from  the  start, 
with  the  object  of  distancing  the  others  in  the 
first  heat.  This  was  without  doubt  a  great  error 
of  judgment,  for  it  turned  out  that  Joe  Daniels 
not  only  had  the  foot  of  True  Blue,  but  greater 
staying  qualities  besides. 

Soon  everything  was  in  readiness,  and  about 
a  quarter  to  three  o'clock  the  horses  were  sent 
away  on  their  first  journey.  Thad  Stevens  was 
next  the  rails,  then  True  Blue  and  Mamie  Hall, 
with  the  son  of  Australia  on  the  extreme 
outside. 

First  heat.  The  bell  was  tapped  and  the 
race  commenced  at  the  first  attempt.  Joe 
Daniels  and  Thad  Stevens  went  off  at  a  good 
gait.  Before  going  far  the  Californian  went  to 
the  front,  and  at  the  quarter  there  was  an  open 
length  of  daylight  between  him  and  True  Blue, 
who  had  given  Joe  Daniels  the  go-by  on  the 
turn,  Mamie  Hall  bringing  up  the  rear.  They 
ran  in  this  order  until  the  head  of  the  home- 
stretch was  reached,  where  the  mare  took  up  the 
running,  and  as  they  passed  the  stand  in  the 
first   mile  (2.03)  she  was  leading  Thad   Stevens 


356  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

about  three  lengths,  close  to  whom  lay  True 
Blue,  Joe  Daniels  a  length  behind  the  latter, 
and  all  but  Mamie  were  going  under  a  steady 
pull.  At  the  quarter  the  second  time  True 
Blue  was  sent  forward,  and  Thad  Stevens  and 
Joe  Daniels  were  running  easy.  No  change 
occurred  until  the  three-quarter  pole  was  passed, 
when  it  became  apparent  that  Mamie  Hall  was 
tiring  and  True  Blue  went  by  her  like  a  flash. 
The  second  mile  was  finished  in  2.01.  True 
Blue  was  now  in  advance,  and  as  he  went  along 
his  stride  and  easy  way  of  going  was  much 
admired.  Before  they  had  reached  the  quarter 
for  the  third  time,  however,  Palmer,  on  Joe 
Daniels,  moved  up  towards  True  Blue,  and  Thad 
Stevens  still  lay  away,  his  jockey  apparently 
having  orders  to  let  the  Eastern  horses  fight 
the  heat  out  between  them.  The  pace  was  now 
a  "cracker,"  and  it  became  evident  the  heat 
would  be  fast.  Past  the  three-quarter  pole  and 
into  the  home-stretch  the  gallant  racers  came. 
True  Blue  leading  Joe  Daniels  a  length,  with 
Thad  Stevens  still  under  a  pull  forty  yards 
away.  The  mare  was  now  hopelessly  beaten. 
The  positions  were  unaltered  at  the  finish  of 
the    mile    (the    third),  which  was    run    in    1.47J. 


Turf  Affairs  of  California  357 

Entering  the  fourth  mile,  Joe  Daniels  moved 
upon  the  enemy's  works.  He  collared  True 
Blue  at  the  quarter,  and  a  magnificent  race 
ensued  down  the  back-stretch  between  the  pair, 
Thad  Stevens  being  nearly  a  distance  behind. 
The  Eastern  horses  passed  the  half-mile  locked, 
and  the  final  struggle  commenced  in  earnest. 
It  was  nip  and  tuck  between  them ;  but  Joe 
Daniels  lasted  the  longest  and,  entering  the 
home-stretch  for  the  run  home,  he  had  the  heat 
secure,  and  beat  True  Blue  at  the  finish  by  three 
lengths  in  7.45,  the  last  mile  having  been  run 
in  1. 5 3 J.  Thad  Stevens  was  beaten  fifty  yards, 
and  Mamie  Hall  was  distanced. 

Second  heat.  Average  of  the  pools:  Thad 
Stevens,  $850;  Joe  Daniels,  $200;  True  Blue,  ^75. 
It  being  apparent  that  Thad  Stevens  lay  up  the 
first  heat,  his  backers  were  in  no  way  alarmed, 
and  they  put  their  money  on  him  with  great 
confidence.  All  the  horses  sweat  out  finely,  and 
no  fault  could  be  detected  in  either  when  the 
judges  again  summoned  them  to  prepare.  Again 
they  were  sent  away  at  the  first  attempt.  Thad 
Stevens  assumed  the  lead  immediately,  and  True 
Blue  was  two  lengths  behind  Joe  Daniels,  the 
pace    being   merely  a   hand-gallop   for   the   first 


358  The  American  Tborougbbred 

mile,  which  was  run  in  2.27.  The  only  change 
that  was  made  in  the  positions  as  above  given 
was  True  Blue's  placing  himself  second  in  the 
home-stretch.  When  fairly  into  the  second  mile 
the  pace  improved ;  but  there  was  no  change 
until  nearing  the  half-mile,  when  Joe  Daniels 
moved  up  and  took  closer  order.  Thad  was 
now  leading  about  three  lengths  and  the  other 
two  were  nose  and  tail.  True  Blue  in  the  second 
place.  Thus  they  ran  to  the  score,  the  time  of 
the  second  mile  being  1.56I.  At  the  quarter 
in  the  third  mile  there  was  still  no  change,  but 
soon  after  True  Blue  and  Joe  Daniels  began  to 
race  in  earnest,  and  gradually  gained  on  the 
leader.  Up  the  stretch  they  came,  and  it  looked 
as  if  a  blanket  would  cover  all  three.  As  they 
neared  the  stand,  however,  the  Californian  was 
still  in  the  lead,  and  as  he  finished  the  third 
mile  (time  1.50)  with  a  length  the  best  of  it,  a 
cheer  was  sent  up  by  way  of  encouragement. 
True  Blue  and  Joe  Daniels  were  neck  and  neck 
as  they  entered  upon  the  fourth  mile,  and  all 
three  were  apparently  running  with  something 
in  hand.  True  Blue  went  up  and  joined  issue 
with  Thad  at  the  quarter,  but  as  Ross  on  the 
latter  seemed  to  have  no  notion  of  trying  con- 


Turf  Affairs  of  California  359 

elusions  with  True  Blue  just  then,  he  dropped 
back,  and  Joe  Daniels  went  on  in  pursuit  of  the 
son  of  Lexington.  Both  Joe  and  True  Blue 
strove  hard  for  the  mastery,  and  as  they  came 
into  the  home-stretch  it  was  hammer  and 
tongs  between  them.  It  was  a  mighty  struggle 
between  the  pair  as  they  came  bounding  toward 
the  score,  and  the  vast  multitude  was  filled  with 
the  greatest  enthusiasm  and  excitement;  but 
True  Blue  had  the  foot  of  his  opponent,  and 
beat  Joe  out  by  two  lengths  in  8.08,  Thad 
Stevens  eight  lengths  behind  the  latter. 

Third  heat.  The  betting  now  underwent  a 
great  change.  Hedging  was  the  order  of  the 
day,  and  in  the  effort  to  get  out  many  plunged 
hopelessly  in.  Average  of  the  pools :  True  Blue, 
^750;  Joe  Daniels,  $285;  Thad  Stevens,  ^150. 
Joe  Daniels  looked  the  freshest  of  the  trio  when 
brought  out  for  the  heat.  True  Blue  appeared 
a  little  distressed  and  leg-weary,  and  it  was 
stated  that  Thad  Stevens  had  not  cooled  out 
satisfactorily.  Nevertheless,  his  party  were  very 
sweet  upon  him  and  were  confident  that  he 
would  still  outlast  his  competitors.  When  the 
bell  tapped  for  the  send-off  Joe  Daniels  made  a 
bulge  for  the  lead,  and  on  the  turn  he  deprived 


360  The  American  Tborougbbred 

True  Blue  of  the  berth  next  the  rails.  Barbee, 
on  the  latter,  had  received  waiting  orders,  and 
he  took  a  strong  pull  on  his  horse.  It  was,  how- 
ever, now  or  never  with  old  Thad,  so  he  soon 
took  up  the  running  and  on  passing  the  quarter 
was  leading  his  pursuers  three  or  four  lengths, 
about  a  length  of  daylight  being  visible  between 
the  other  two.  They  ran  the  first  mile  (time, 
2.03J)  in  about  the  same  order,  but  nearing  the 
quarter  in  the  second  the  Eastern  representa- 
tives, keeping  a  sharp  eye  one  on  the  other, 
moved  up  side  by  side  on  the  old  horse.  He 
drew  away  almost  instantly,  however,  and  he  led 
throughout  the  second  mile  (run  in  1.55^)  by 
about  three  lengths,  True  Blue  about  a  length 
in  front  of  Joe  Daniels.  There  was  no  change 
of  note  throughout  the  third  mile,  at  the  finish 
of  which  old  Thad  seemed  to  be  running 
stronger  than  either  True  Blue  or  Joe  Daniels, 
both  of  whom  seemed  to  be  a  little  distressed. 
The  latter,  however,  passed  True  Blue  oppo- 
site the  end  of  the  grand  stand  and  made  play  for 
the  Pacific-sloper.  Just  as  True  Blue  reached 
the  quarter-pole  he  was  seen  to  falter  in  his 
stride,  and  when  almost  immediately  Barbee 
pulled  him  to  a  standstill  his  friends  and  backers 


Turf  Affairs  of  California  361 

were  for  the  moment  nearly  paralyzed  with 
amazement.  The  race  was  now  left  to  Thad 
and  Joe  Daniels  to  settle  between  them,  and 
amid  the  most  intense  excitement  they  came 
rattling  along  toward  the  finish.  The  Califor- 
nian  had  about  six  lengths  the  best  of  it  swing- 
ing into  the  stretch,  and  although  Joe  Daniels 
struggled  gamely  along  in  the  effort  to  overtake 
old  Thad,  he  could  not  gain  an  inch  on  his  stout 
competitor,  who  won  the  heat  with  something  to 
spare  in  7.67. 

On  examination  it  was  discovered  that  True 
Blue  had  broken  down  in  the  off  hind  leg. 
Barbee,  his  jockey,  said  that  all  at  once  the  horse 
gave  way  under  him,  and  seeing  that  he  was  in- 
capable of  further  effort  he  at  once  pulled  him  up. 

Fourth  heat.  It  was  now  ten  to  one  on  Thad 
Stevens,  who  went  away  with  the  lead,  was  never 
headed  throughout,  and  won  in  a  big  gallop  by 
ten  lengths  in  8.20J. 

The  scene  that  followed  beggars  description 
as  the  surging  thousands  seemed  crazed  with 
delight.  Cheer  upon  cheer  rent  the  air,  and 
everybody  made  a  grand  rush  to  congratulate 
George  Treat  and  old  Thad,  who  was  quickly 
surrounded  after  returning  to  the  judges'  stand. 


362  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

Summary 

Ocean  View  Track,  San  Francisco,  November 
15.  Pacific  Jockey  Club  Purse  of  $20,000;  four 
miles  and  repeat;  $12,000  to  the  winner,  $5000 
to  second  horse,  and  $3000  to  the  third. 

George  Treat's  b.  h.  Thad  Stevens,  aged,  114 

lbs.      C.  Ross 3311 

Wm.  Wightman's  b.  h.  Joe  Daniels,  4  yrs.,  108 

lbs.      IV.  J.  Palmer 1222 

John  F.  Chamberlin's  b.  h.  True  Blue,  4  yrs.,  108 

lbs.      George  Barbee 2     i     dist. 

W.  Hall's  b.  m.  Mamie  Hall,  aged,  116  lbs.     (5 

lbs.  overweight) .     Perfect dist. 

Time:   7.45,  8.08,  7.57,  8.2o|. 

The  second  sensation  race  of  four-mile  heats, 
for  a  purse  of  $25,000,  was  decided  at  San  Fran- 
cisco on  November  14,  1874,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Pacific  Jockey  Club.  The  race  had  cre- 
ated widespread  interest  for  a  month  previous  to 
its  running,  and  the  day  for  its  decision  was 
eagerly  looked  forward  to  by  the  turfmen  of 
all  sections  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
This  being  so,  a  great  success  was  looked  for; 
and  in  that  respect,  at  least,  the  Californians  were 
not  disappointed.  There  were  seven  starters  — 
Katie  Pease  by  Planet  out  of  Minnie  Mansfield ; 


Turf  Affairs  of  California  363 

Henry  by  Norfolk  out  of  Versalia;  Hardwood 
by  Woodburn  out  of  Moss  Rose ;  Thad  Stevens 
by  Langford  out  of  Mary  Chilton  ;  Joe  Daniels  by 
imported  Australian  out  of  Dolly  Carter;  Hock 
Hocking  by  Ringmaster  out  of  Young  Fashion ; 
and  Alpha  by  imported    Hercules  out  of  Waxy. 

Katie  Pease  was  the  favorite  with  the  betting 
hosts  over  all  the  others  combined,  and  the  fine 
and  fast  daughter  of  Planet  had  no  trouble  in 
placing  the  event  to  the  credit  of  her  stable  in 
two  heats ;  time,  7.43J  and  7.36J.  Although  not 
a  really  great  performance,  this  was  in  every 
respect  a  good  one,  and  stamped  Katie  Pease  as 
one  of  the  very  best  long-distance  horses  in  the 
country.  Thad  Stevens,  who  had  won  the  year 
before,  could  not  make  her  extend  herself  at  all, 
notwithstanding  he  had  a  great  pull  in  the 
weights.  Joe  Daniels  was  second  in  the  first 
heat,  but  was  distanced  in  the  following  one. 

Owing  to  his  victory  the  previous  year  over 
True  Blue  and  Joe  Daniels  at  San  Francisco  in 
the  four-mile  heat  race,  great  things  were  expected 
of  Thad  Stevens  by  the  people  of  the  Pacific 
Coast,  and  a  large  proportion  of  them  had  come 
to  think  their  representative  invincible  at  the 
distance. 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE    FOUR-MILER    PASSING 

After  these  races  of  California  the  four-mile 
race-horse  began  to  see  his  finality.  There  were 
many  races  at  the  old-time  American  distance 
after  that,  but  they  were  not  events  of  national 
interest,  and  we  began  to  develop  another  type 
of  animal  in  the  cup  horse.  He  was  something 
of  a  horse  too.  Still  he  was  not  the  kind  that 
had  done  our  racing  over  those  old  honorable  dis- 
tances. The  record  which  Lexington  made  at 
New  Orleans  of  7.19J  stood  there  as  a  mark  at 
which  they  might  shoot  until  1874,  almost  nine- 
teen years  afterward.  In  the  meantime  many 
animals  of  high  degree  had  raced  most  credit- 
ably and  had  started  against  time.  But  they  had 
failed  to  make  any  impression  upon  this  mark 
which  Lexington  had  made. 

It  was  Fellowcraft,  a  colt  by  imported  Austra- 
lian out  of  Aerolite,  a  daughter  of  Lexington,  who 
finally  accomplished  the  feat  of  setting  a  new 
364 


The  Four-miler  Passing  365 

figure  for  four  miles.  Fellowcraft  was  foaled  in 
1870,  therefore  he  was  a  four-year-old  when  he 
accomplished  that  feat  by  which  he  is  best 
remembered.  He  was  a  high-class  race-horse, 
although  as  a  two-year-old  he  won  only  one  race 
out  of  five  starts.  As  a  three-year-old  he  had 
a  little  worse  fortune,  starting  nine  times  and 
winning  only  once. 

It  was  not  until  he  began  to  go  over  the  long 
distances  that  are  permitted  with  age  that  Fellow- 
craft  showed  to  advantage.  At  Long  Branch,  in 
1874,  he  won  a  purse  at  four  miles,  running  the 
distance  in  7.43.  Vandalite,  a  first-class  one, 
beat  him  at  the  same  place  in  a  race  of  two-mile 
heats.  He  was  one  to  start  against  Springbok 
and  Preakness  at  Saratoga  in  a  dash  of  three 
miles,  which  Springbok  won  in  5.42J.  That  was 
a  smashing  good  contest,  in  which  Fellowcraft 
was  the  third  horse.  He  beat  Katie  Pease, 
Wanderer,  and  others  at  the  same  place  in  a  dash 
of  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  then  Wanderer  came 
back  and  beat  him  in  a  race  of  two  miles  and  a 
quarter,  the  cup  distance. 

It  was  in  the  four-mile  race  at  Saratoga  that  he 
earned  his  fame  and  also  closed  his  turf  career. 
It  was  on  the  20th  of  August,  1874,  that  he  went 


366  The  American  Tboroughhred 

to  the  post  with  Wanderer  and  Katie  Pease, 
both  of  them  four-milers  worth  beating.  Fellow- 
craft  ran  a  remarkably  well-rated  and  well-judged 
race.  The  first  mile  was  done  in  1.47 J,  two  miles 
in  T,.T,S,  three  miles  in  5.29J,  and  the  four  miles 
in  7.19J.  That  for  many  years  remained  the  four- 
mile  record.  Fellowcraft,  for  some  reason,  never 
got  credit  for  his  performance.  With  the  knowl- 
edge of  it  before  them,  turfmen  were  inclined  to 
throw  back  to  that  four  miles  of  Lexington  and 
to  discard  the  one  run  by  Fellowcraft.  Lexing- 
ton had  everything  prepared  for  his  effort  and 
was  running  against  time  only.  Fellowcraft  was 
winning  a  race  when  he  made  his  record.  Yet 
it  was  Lexington's  four  miles  that  they  started  to 
beat  in  after  years,  in  California,  when  Matt  Storn 
was  trying  to  gain  that  four-mile  record  with  his 
two  mares   Marigold  and  Centella. 

Those  races  were  run  quite  recently,  however, 
and  long  after  the  system  of  American  racing  had 
entirely  changed,  and  a  new  type  of  animal  was 
being  produced  and  run.  The  English  had  for  a 
long  time  ceased  to  send  their  horses  at  great 
distances  and  had  created  a  system  of  sprint 
running.  Gradually  that  system  took  a  hold  on 
the  American  turf,  and  instead  of   the    old-time 


The  Four-miler  Passing  367 

horse  that  could  go  a  great  distance  and  repeat 
that  distance  from  two  to  five  times  in  an  after- 
noon, we  soon  found  ourselves  with  a  horse  bred 
to  get  away  from  the  post  quickly,  race  at  a  great 
rate  of  speed,  and  make  a  single  dash  for  the 
laurels  of  victory. 

From  1870  to  1880  this  transition  was  taking 
place.  During  the  earlier  years  of  that  time  were 
brought  to  the  front  horses  of  the  type  of  Alarm. 
Alarm,  though  foaled  in  America,  was  entirely 
English  bred,  being  by  imported  Eclipse  out  of 
imported  Maud  by  Stockwell.  Alarm  began  his 
racing  in  187 1  in  a  match  at  Saratoga,  of  $5000  a 
side,  against  Inverary  by  imported  Leamington. 
The  distance  was  one  mile,  which  is  a  fair  lengjth 
for  any  two-year-old  to  go,  and  Alarm  won.  He 
made  other  endeavors  at  a  mile  and  was  unsuc- 
cessful. In  his  three-year-old  form  he  ran  five 
races  and  won  them  all.  The  first  of  these  was 
at  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  run  at  Jerome  Park, 
the  ist  of  June.  Then,  on  the  6th  of  June,  he 
won  a  purse  at  a  mile  and  a  quarter.  On  the 
13th  of  June  he  won  one  at  a  mile.  In  July, 
at  Saratoga,  he  won  another  at  three-quarters 
of  a  mile.  Two  days  afterward,  when  he  beat 
Fadladeen  and  Kingfisher  a  mile    in    1.4 2 J,   he 


368  The  American  Tborougbbred 

set  down  the  fastest  time  at  that  distance  up  to 
that  date.     That  closed  his  career  on  the  turf. 

This  much  is  given  of  Alarm  to  show  the  dif- 
ference between  the  type  of  horse  that  was  racing 
in  Lexington's  day  and  the  type  that  had  already 
begun  to  be  prominent  as  early  as  187 1.  There 
were  still  horses  capable  of  going  a  distance  and 
raced  at  those  distances  for  years  after  this,  but 
Alarm  was  the  first  of  the  sprinting  kind  of  which 
Voter  was  the  last  distinguished  representative 
which  we  had  on  the  American  turf.  The  four- 
miler  died  hard. 

Ten  Broeck  won  the  four-mile  heat  race  in 
1876  at  Baltimore,  called  the  Bowie  Stakes, 
and  that  gave  him  the  first  of  his  real  fame. 
He  was  by  the  English  horse  Phaeton  out  of 
Fanny  Holton  by  Lexington  out  of  Nantura, 
who  was  the  dam  of  Longfellow.  "Uncle"  John 
Harper,  the  man  who  brought  Longfellow  North 
to  beat  Harry  Bassett,  also  bred  Ten  Broeck. 
Ten  Broeck  was  saved  until  he  was  a  three-year- 
old,  and  then  he  began  a  career  that  made  him 
look  like  a  champion.  There  were  a  great  many 
good  horses  out  in  his  day,  but  Ten  Broeck  kept 
pace  with  the  very  best  of  them.  He  was  not 
trained  as  carefully  as  he  might  have  been,  and 


The  Foiir-miler  Passing  369 

he  was  beaten  at  times  when  it  would  seem  that 
he  outclassed  his  field. 

Ten  Broeck  accomplished  two  things,  however, 
during  his  career,  which  give  him  a  distinct  place 
in  the  literature  of  the  turf.  When  he  was  four 
years  old,  or  in  1876,  he  started  at  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  in  a  dash  of  four  miles  against  the 
time  of  Fellowcraft.  He  won  the  contest  against 
time,  running  the  distance  in  7. 15 J,  which  stood 
as  the  record  for  many,  many  years.  The  follow- 
ing season,  being  again  a  good  horse,  he  was  sent, 
at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  a  dash  of  one  mile 
against  time.  He  broke  the  record  for  that 
distance  by  doing  it  in  i.39f.  And  that  record 
stood  for  about  thirteen  years. 

These  two  accomplishments  of  Ten  Broeck 
keep  him  permanently  in  turf  story,  because, 
while  there  have  not  been  a  great  many  attacks 
upon  his  four-mile  record,  the  production  of 
sprinters  especially  trained  to  run  in  mile  races 
put  his  mile  record  in  constant  danger.  Yet  it 
is  a  tribute  to  his  class  that  his  figures  stood  for 
a  dozen  years  or  more. 

The  finish  of  Ten  Broeck's  turf  career  was  in 
the  last  of  the  great  national  four-mile  races. 
That  resulted  in  almost  a  fiasco.     There  was  in 


370  The  American  Tborougbbred 

California,  the  property  of  Theodore  Winters,  a 
mare  called  Mollie  McCarthy  who  had  especially 
distinguished  herself  out  there  at  long-distance 
running.  Ten  Broeck  seemed  to  be  the  natural 
mark  for  her,  and  the  result  of  much  discussion 
among  turfmen  and  in  the  papers  was  that  a 
race  was  arranged  between  the  two.  Mollie 
McCarthy  was  to  take  the  long  and  arduous 
journey  from  California,  which  was  a  great  handi- 
cap in  itself,  and  beat  Ten  Broeck  on  his  own 
ground.  The  race  made  a  great  stir,  particularly 
in  the  South.  What  happened  was  most  unfortu- 
nate. Rain  put  the  track  in  a  bad  condition,  and 
Mollie  McCarthy  could  never  do  herself  credit  on 
that  kind  of  course.  The  story  of  the  running 
of  this  last  of  those  sectional  four-mile  events  is 
this :  — 

"Louisville,  Ky.,  July  4,  1878. 
"  I  to-day  attended  the  third  day  of  the  extra 
July  meeting  of  the  Louisville  Jockey  Club  to 
witness  the  expected  great  contest  between 
Ten  Broeck  and  Mollie  McCarthy  at  four-mile 
heats.  The  day  has  been  all  that  could  be 
asked,  but  a  sticky  track,  owing  to  a  heavy 
shower  last  evening,  gave  promise  of  slow  time. 
I  reached  the  grounds  about  10.15  a.m.  and  found 


The  Four-miler  Passing  371 

the  grand  stand  already  black  with  people,  intent 
upon  thus  early  securing  a  place  from  which  to 
view  the  race.  A  steady  flow  of  people  from 
the  city  continued  until  long  after  the  first  race 
on  the  programme  had  been  run.  It  is  difficult 
to  estimate  a  crowd  upon  this  track,  and  some 
placed  it  as  high  as  30,000.  I  have  been  told 
that  the  exact  number  falls  between  23,000  and 
24,000.  All  agreed  that  it  was  the  largest  by 
far  that  had  ever  been  upon  the  grounds.  Masses 
of  strangers  arrived  by  train,  extra  trains  and 
steamboats  throughout  yesterday  and  this  even- 
ing, so  that  the  hotel  capacity  of  the  town,  great 
as  it  is,  was  fully  taxed,  and  vehicles  of  every 
description  that  could  be  pressed  into  service, 
in  addition  to  the  street  and  steam  cars,  were  in 
constant  use  between  the  town  and  the  track 
throughout  the  forenoon.  It  was  a  crowd,  as 
the  Kentuckians  express  it,  'sure  enough.'  I 
think  I  have  never  seen  it  excelled  in  numbers 
at  a  race,  except  at  the  first  great  stallion  trot, 
at  Boston,  a  few  years  ago. 

"  The  mare  was  first  to  show  up  on  the  stretch, 
clothed  in  her  white  sheets,  and  received  a  fair 
round  of  applause ;  but  when  the  horse  made  his 
appearance  from  the  opposite  direction  a  greet- 


372  The  American  Thoroughbred 

ing  that  might  have  stirred  the  blood  of  a  king 
was  showered  upon  him  from  the  grand  stand 
and  all  surrounding  places.  Kentucky  loves  her 
own.  The  horse  was  first  to  strip,  and  as  the 
sheet  was  drawn  off  he  lashed  out  with  his 
heels,  and  the  quiet  demeanor  with  which  he 
had  appeared  gave  place  to  one  of  more  ani- 
mation, as  if  he  appreciated  the  undertaking 
before  him  and  was  ready  for  it.  The  horse 
was  lighter  than  I  had  expected  from  current 
rumor,  but  his  coat  bloomed  as  in  perfect  con- 
dition, and  his  friends  freely  expressed  their 
confidence  that  he  was  perfectly  fit.  This  his 
actions  indicated,  otherwise  I  would  have  thought 
him  drawn  too  fine. 

"  The  mare,  on  the  other  hand,  carried  quite 
as  much  flesh  as  one  of  her  ivory-finished 
make-up  would  appear  to  do  best  in.  Those 
who  should  know  her  say  she  runs  best  with 
some  flesh  to  spare.  The  first  impression  I 
got  of  her  was  that  she  was  short  of  condition 
to  do  her  best,  and  her  race  convinces  me  that 
there  is  about  where  the  mistake  was  made. 
She  is  very  bloodlike,  highly  finished,  and  full 
of  quality.  She  might  appear  delicate  if  drawn 
finer,  but  only  in  seeming.     These  hard-muscled. 


The  Four-miler  Passing  373 

fine-grained  ones  often  make  up  in  quality  what 
they  lack  in  substance,  and  stand  drawn  condi- 
tion better  than  the  grosser  kind.  Whatever 
the  fault,  she  certainly  could  not  have  been 
anything  like  herself.  Since  the  results  of  the 
race  she  is  likely  to  be  underrated,  but  as  long 
as  she  ran  she  ran  like  a  real  good  one ;  and,  if 
I  mistake  not,  will  turn  up  as  great  a  surprise 
another  day  as  she  has  been  a  disappointment 
to-day.     The  story  is  soon  told. 

"  They  got  away  at  an  even  start,  the  mare  in- 
side, and  ran  evenly  to  the  quarter  in  28  seconds. 
At  the  half-mile  pole  the  mare  had  her  head  in 
front,  and  bettered  her  position  slightly  two- 
thirds  around  the  turn.  The  race  was  obscured 
from  my  sight  until  they  entered  the  stretch, 
when  the  mare  held  hijn  at  her  girths,  and  in 
this  position  they  raced  to  the  stand  in  i.49f, 
both  under  a  pull,  the  horse  with  his  head 
turned  in  toward  the  mare.  The  mare  ran 
with  such  a  beautiful  and  apparently  easy  stroke, 
and  the  horse  seemingly  at  labor,  but  really 
annoyed  at  restraint,  that  a  shout  went  up  that 
she  already  had  him  beaten.  But  '  it  is  a  far 
cry  to  Lochawe,'  and  only  one  mile  out  of  four 
had  been  done.     The  mare  now  drew  away  and 


374  The  American  Tboroiighbred 

had  a  length  the  best  of  it  at  the  mile  and  a 
quarter  mark,  in  which  she  released  to  half  a 
length  as  they  raced  to  the  mile  and  a  half  pole 
in  2.47.  Around  the  turn,  until  I  again  lost 
sight  of  them,  she  held  him  at  her  girths,  and  in 
this  position  they  a  second  time  reached  the 
stand,  in  345J.  As  they  entered  the  second 
mile,  the  horse  drew  up  and  bettered  his  posi- 
tion, but  Mollie  still  had  her  head  in  front  as 
they  passed  the  two  mile  and  a  quarter  mark  in 
4.i6|. 

"  But  from  this  point  the  horse  showed  his 
superiority.  He  drew  ahead,  and  took  the  pole 
from  her  as  they  went  down  the  back-stretch, 
and  as  they  passed  the  two  mile  and  a  half  post, 
in  448J,  he  led  her  an  open  length.  From  the 
time  he  got  his  head  in.  front  she  was  a  beaten 
mare ;  and  though  she  struggled  gamely,  the 
horse  continued  to  make  distance,  until  at  the 
completion  of  the  third  mile  he  led  her  at  least 
twenty  yards  at  the  score,  in  5.53,  and  held  that 
lead  past  the  three  mile  and  a  quarter  mark. 
She  continued  a  stern  chase  at  this  disadvantage 
for  another  quarter  of  a  mile,  when  she  threw 
up  her  tail  and  gave  it  up.  The  horse  galloped 
home  leisurely  when  his  jockey  saw  that  he  had 


The  Four-miler  Passing  375 

the  mare  distanced.  Time,  8.19J  —  over  a  very 
heavy  and  sticky  track,  so  much  so  that,  not- 
withstanding the  slow  time,  the  race  was  a  very 
severe  one  for  the  winner.  Such  a  shout  as 
went  up  over  the  triumph  of  Ten  Broeck,  and 
such  a  scene  of  wild  and  extravagant  excitement, 
I  never  saw  before,  and  never  expect  to  again, 
outside  the  impulsive  state  of  Kentucky." 

—  Cor.  Spirit  of  the  Times. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  MODERN  TYPE 

Parole  was  one  of  the  popular  favorites  of  that 
day.  He  belonged  to  Pierre  Lorillard.  His  form 
in  this  country  was  most  successful,  as  is  evi- 
denced by  his  defeat  of  Ten  Broeck  and  other 
animals  of  unquestioned  class.  But  his  fame  as 
an  American  race-horse  depends  chiefly  upon  his 
accomplishments  in  England,  where  he  beat  the 
best  horses  in  training  as  a  six-year-old.  Over 
there  he  won  the  Newmarket  Handicap,  the  last 
mile  and  a  half  of  the  Beacon  Course,  beating  the 
great  Isonomy,  the  best  horse  in  England  at  that 
time,  and  others.  He  won  the  City  and  Suburban 
Handicap,  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  with  119  pounds 
on  him,  beating  seventeen  English  starters.  He 
captured  the  Metropolitan  Stakes,  two  miles  and 
a  quarter,  carrying  124  pounds,  beating  Castle- 
reagh.  Then  he  took  up  134  pounds  and  won 
the  Great  Cheshire  Handicap,  at  a  mile  and  a 
quarter.  His  crowning  accomplishment  was 
when  he  took  that  classic  and  honorable  event, 
376 


The  Coming  of  the  Modern  Type      z77 

the  Epsom  Gold  Cup,  running  the  distance  of 
two  miles  and  a  half  with  125  pounds  on  him,  and 
beating  Alchemist  and  Primrose.  The  excite- 
ment on  this  side  of  the  water  among  turfmen 
was  intense  when  this  horse  was  running  so  suc- 
cessfully abroad.  He  made  for  himself  an  undy- 
ing name  through  his  English  accomplishments. 

Parole  was  by  that  same  imported  Leamington 
which  had  sired  Longfellow  and  others,  and  his 
dam  was  Maiden,  a  daughter  of  our  Lexington. 
You  may  see  how  the  blood  of  the  blind  hero  of 
Woodburn  was  still  marching  along  in  whatever 
combination  it  was  put. 

Following  immediately  after  these,  came  a 
horse  of  marked  excellence  called  Luke  Black- 
burn. He  was  bred  in  Tennessee  and  was  by 
imported  Bonnie  Scotland  out  of  another  of 
those  remarkable  daughters  of  Lexington  called 
Nevada.  Luke  Blackburn  saw  the  light  in  1877. 
He  raced  for  three  years,  and  he  beat  every  good 
one  of  his  time.  In  one  season,  that  is,  in  1880, 
he  started  in  twenty-four  races  and  won  twenty- 
two  of  them.  So  game  and  determined  a  race- 
horse was  he  that  a  full  but  condensed  statement 
of  his  accomplishments  can  be  given  here  without 
its  becoming  tiresome  to  the  reader. 


37S  The  American  Thoroughbred 

In  1879,  as  a  two-year-old,  Blackburn  ran  with 
indifferent  success.  He  started  thirteen  times, 
won  two  races,  was  second  in  six,  third  in  one, 
-and  unplaced  in  four.  Lexington,  May  12,  ran 
second  to  Knight  Templar  in  the  Colt  Stakes, 
half-mile;  time,  .50;  Moscow,  Wargentine,  Fonso, 
Amazon,  and  Hamerfest  also  ran.  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  May  21,  ran  second  to  Kimball,  in 
the  Alexander  Stakes,  half-mile;  time,  .49J;  eight 
started.  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  June  13,  again 
finished  second  to  Kimball,  in  the  Hotel  Stakes, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile;  time,  1.16J;  Amazon, 
Chris  Doyle,  Victory,  and  Slicer  also  started. 
Chicago,  Illinois,  June  23,  ran  second  to  Kim- 
ball (third  time)  in  Grand  Pacific  Hotel  Stakes, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile;  time,  1.18J.  Wargen- 
tine finished  third ;  Vapor,  Victor)^  and  Mistake 
unplaced.  Saratoga,  August  2,  ran  second  to 
Lucy  George,  five-eighths  of  a  mile;  time,  1.04J; 
Girofle  and  Cassatt  also  started.  Same  place, 
August  12,  ran  second  to  Grenada  in  the 
Windsor  Hotel  Stakes,  five-eighths  of  a  mile ; 
time,  1.03J;  seven  started.  Autumn  meeting, 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  Prospect  Park,  Sep- 
tember 6,  won  his  maiden  race,  the  Breeze  Purse, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile,  defeating  Girofle,  Queen's 


The  Coming  of  the  Modem  Type       379 

Own,  and  four  others;  time,  1.17J.  Brighton 
Beach  Fair  Grounds,  New  York,  September  18, 
won  the  Ocean  Stakes,  three-quarters  of  a  mile, 
defeating  EHas  Lawrence  (late  Bilstein),  Quito, 
and  three  others;  time,  1.18J.  After  this  race, 
Luke  Blackburn  was  retired  for  the  season,  and 
became  the  property  of  Dwyer  Brothers,  Brook- 
lyn,  New  York,  who  gave  $2500  for  him. 

In  the  year  1880  Luke  Blackburn  started  in 
twenty-four  races,  lost  two,  and  won  twenty-two. 
His  first  race  was  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
when  he  ran  third  to  Fonso  and  Kinkead  in 
the  Phoenix  Hotel  Stakes,  one  and  a  quarter 
miles,  won  by  Fonso  in  2.08J.  Blackburn  had 
been  sick  and  was  unfit  to  run.  He  was  then 
sent  East,  and  won  a  dash  of  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  at  Jerome  Park,  in  1.18,  defeating  Check- 
mate and  three  others.  Two  days  after  he  won 
a  dash  of  a  mile  and  an  eighth  in  1.58,  beating 
Scotilla,  Checkmate,  and  two  others.  Three  days 
after  won  a  race  of  one  mile  and  three  furlongs 
in  2.28J,  beating  Scotilla  and  two  others.  Two 
days  after  defeated  Monitor,  one  and  a  half  miles, 
in  2.39J,  and  two  days  afterward  won  the  Handi- 
cap Sweepstakes,  one  and  a  quarter  miles,  in  2.13. 

All    these    races    were    run   at    Jerome    Park 


380  The  American  Tborougbbred 

during  the  spring  meeting.  Sheepshead  Bay, 
June  19,  won  the  Tidal  Stakes,  one  mile,  in 
145,  defeating  Kimball,  Kitty  J.,  and  Grenada. 
June  22,  won  the  Coney  Island  Handicap,  one 
mile  and  three  furlongs,  in  2.24!  beating  Duke 
of  Montrose  and  Vagrant.  June  26,  was  beaten 
in  purse  race,  one  and  a  quarter  miles,  in  2.12,  by 
Duke  of  Montrose.  Blackburn  fell  after  running 
the  first  quarter  and  unseated  his  jockey.  Long 
Branch,  July  3,  won  the  Ocean  Stakes,  one  mile 
and  a  furlong,  in  2,03^,  beating  Duke  of  Mon- 
trose and  Harold.  July  10,  won  sweepstakes, 
one  and  a  quarter  miles,  in  2.1 1 J,  beating,  with 
no  pounds  up,  Duke  of  Montrose,  105  pounds, 
Grenada,  no  pounds.  Saratoga,  July  16,  won  the 
All-Aged  Sweepstakes,  one  and  a  quarter  miles, 
in  2.1 1;|,  beating  Checkmate  and  Volturno. 
July  24,  won  mile  and  a  furlong  in  1.58,  beating 
Gabriel  and  Girofle.  July  27,  won  dash  of  a  mile, 
in  1. 43 J,  beating  Turfman.  July  31,  won  Sum- 
mer Handicap,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in  2.39,  carry- 
ing no  pounds,  beating  Juanita,  102  pounds. 
General  Philips,  112  pounds,  and  Ada  Glenn,  105 
pounds,  conceding  Juanita  20,  General  Philips  23, 
and  Ada  Glenn,  17  pounds.  Saratoga,  August  5, 
won  United  States  Hotel  Stakes,  for  three-year- 


The  Coming  of  the  Modern  Type       381 

olds,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in  241,  beating  Fern- 
cliff,  Oden,  etc.  August  7,  won  the  Grand  Union 
Hotel  Prize,  handicap,  116  pounds  up,  one  and 
three-quarters  miles,  in  3.07,  beating  One  Dime, 
no  pounds,  Glenmore,  118  pounds,  and  three 
others.  In  this  race  he  conceded  Glenmore  20, 
One  Dime  32,  Cammie  F.  24,  and  General 
Philips  35  pounds.  August  12,  won  the  Kenner 
Stakes,  two  miles,  in  3.35^,  beating  Glidelia  and 
Oden.  Long  Branch,  August  17,  won  the 
Champion  Stakes,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in 
2.34,  beating  Monitor,  Uncas,  Grenada,  and  Re- 
port, in  the  fastest  and  best  race  ever  run  at  the 
distance.  Sheepshead  Bay,  September  4,  won  the 
Great  Challenge  Stakes,  for  all  ages,  one  and 
a  half  miles,  in  2.38,  beating  Monitor,  Uncas,  and 
One  Dime.  September  9,  won  the  Long  Island 
St.  Leger,  one  and  three-quarters  miles,  in  4.07J. 
September  14,  won  a  match  race  for  $5000,  beat- 
ing Uncas,  each  carrying  108  pounds,  one  and 
a  half  miles,  in  2.42 J.  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
September  27,  won  the  Kentucky  St.  Leger,  two 
miles,  in  3.42,  beating  Kinkead.  September  30, 
won  the  Great  American  Stallion  Stakes,  one 
and  three-quarters  miles,  in  3.04,  beating  Kim- 
ball and   Big   Medicine.     In  this  race  he  injured 


382  The  American  Tborougbhred 

the  quarter  of  one  of  his  fore  feet  badly  and  was 
stopped  in  his  work. 

At  four  years  old  started  in  two  races.  Jerome 
Park,  won  Club  Purse,  one  mile,  in  1.45,  beating 
Topsy  and  Potomac.  Was  unplaced  in  Coney 
Island  Cup,  won  by  Glenmore  in  3.58J.  This 
closed  his  racing  career. 

Almost  contemporaneous  with  Luke  Black- 
burn, but  doing  his  racing  entirely  in  England, 
was  Iroquois.  He  was  a  brown  horse,  foaled 
almost  in  sight  of  Philadelphia,  at  the  Erden- 
heim  Stud.  Imported  Leamington  was  then 
standing  at  Erdenheim,  and  Iroquois  was  the 
result  of  a  union  between  Leamington  and 
Maggie  B.  B.  Maggie  B.  B.  was  also  the  dam 
of  Harold,  a  first-class  horse.  She  was  by  im- 
ported Australian  and  her  dam  was  Madeline,  a 
daughter  of  old  Boston.  Again  that  Diomed 
line  which  has  been  so  strong  in  America! 

Iroquois  was  sent  abroad  as  a  youngster;  and 
he  made  them  sit  up  and  notice  on  the  other  side, 
just  as  they  had  sat  up  and  noticed  when  Rich- 
ard Ten  Broeck  made  his  famous  invasion  with 
Prior,  Prioress,  and  others,  and  just  as  Parole, 
but  a  few  years  before,  had  compelled  their 
attention.      Iroquois's   racing   over   there    was   a 


The  Coming  of  the  Modern  Type       383 

surprise  to  the  English  gentlemen  who  sup- 
posed that  in  England  alone  could  a  good 
thoroughbred  be  bred  and  developed.  When  he 
won  the  Derby  he  put  the  climax  upon  a  career 
that  was  exceptionally  brilliant. 

As  a  two-year-old  Iroquois  started  twelve  times, 
won  four  races,  was  second  in  two,  and  unplaced 
in  six.  He  made  his  bow  to  the  public  by  win- 
ning the  Newmarket  two-year-old  plate,  five  fur- 
longs, defeating  Herman,  Kuhleborn,  and  three 
others ;  his  second  success  was  winning  the  two- 
year-old  Stakes  at  Epsom,  five  furlongs,  beating 
Eliacin.TAtthe  Newmarket  July  meeting  ran  Bal 
Gal  to  a  head  for  the  July  Stakes,  five  furlongs 
136  yards,  having  Neophite,  Thebais,  and  seven 
others  behind  him  ;  same  meeting  won  the  Ches- 
terfield Stakes,  five  furlongs,  beating  Panique, 
Volupuary,  and  seven  others ;  at  Goodwood  won 
the  Levant  Stakes,  five  furlongs,  defeating  Isola 
Madre,  Canace,  and  three  others ;  same  meeting 
ran  second  to  Wandering  Nun  in  the  Findon 
Stakes,  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  with  Albion, 
Ishmael,  and  Worthing  behind  him ;  he  was 
unplaced  in  his  other  races.  -f-As  a  three-year-old 
made  his  first  appearance  by  running  second  to 
Peregrine    in    the    2000    guineas,    having    Don 


384  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Fulano,  Camiliard,  Scobel,  and  nine  others  be- 
hind him ;  won  the  Newmarket  Stakes,  Ditch 
mile,  beating  Lennoxlove.  Newmarket  second 
spring  meeting,  walked  over  for  the  Burwell 
Stakes,  Abingdon  mile ;  Epsom  summer  meet- 
ing, won  the  hundred  and  second  renewal  of  the 
Derby  Stakes,  one  and  a  half  miles,  defeating 
Peregrine,  Town  Moore,  Scobel,  Geologist,  St. 
Louis,  Don  Fulano,  Tristan,  and  seven  others. 
Ascot,  won  the  Prince  of  Wales  Stakes,  one 
and  five  eighths  miles,  defeating  Geologist, 
Great  Carle,  and  four  others ;  same  place, 
won  the  St.  James  Place  Stakes  Old  Mile, 
beating  Leon,  his  only  opponent.  Doncaster 
September  meeting,  won  the  Doncaster  St. 
Leger  Stakes,  one  mile  six  furlongs  132  yards, 
defeating  Geologist,  Lucy  Glitters,  St.  Louis, 
Falkirk,  Bal  Gal,  and  nine  others.  Newmarket 
second  October  meeting,  was  third  to  Bend  Or 
and  Scobel  in  Champion  Stakes  across  the  flat 
one  mile  two  furlongs  and  73  yards,  Buckhan- 
non,  Falkirk,  Muriel,  and  Fiddler  behind  him ; 
won  the  Newmarket  Derby,  one  and  a  half  miles, 
beating  Ishmael,  Lennoxlove  and  Lord  Clemsford. 
Thus  he  started  in  nine  races,  running  second  for 
the  2000  guineas,  third  in  the  Champion  Stakes, 


The  Coming  of  the  Modern  Type       385 

and  winning  the  Derby  and  St.  Leger,  a  feat 
only  accomplished  nine  times  in  the  one  hun- 
dred and  three  years  they  had  been  run. 

After  his  English  endeavors  Iroquois  returned 
to  America  and  went  into  the  stud  on  the  noted 
Belle  Meade  Farm,  in  Tennessee,  where  his  suc- 
cess was  satisfactory,  if  not  wonderful. 

There  came  into  the  hearts  of  the  racing  pub- 
lic at  the  same  time  with  Iroquois  a  horse  called 
Hindoo.  He  was  by  that  most  excellent  race- 
horse Virgil  out  of  another  one  of  those  Lex- 
ington mares,  named  Florence.  As  the  name  of 
Hindoo  has  come  down  to  us  as  among  the  really 
great  horses  of  the  American  turf,  a  condensed 
account  of  his  races  is  given  here. 

Hindoo  was  the  sensational  two-year-old  of  his 
year;  started  in  nine  races,  won  seven,  was  sec- 
ond in  one,  third  in  one.  Hindoo  made  his  first 
appearance  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  May  13,  in 
the  Colt  and  Filly  Stakes,  for  two-year-olds, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile,  winning  in  1.17J,  beating 
Alfambra,  Brambaletta,  Lizzie  S.,  Edison,  and  five 
others.  Louisville,  Kentucky,  May  19,  won 
Alexander  Stakes,  half  a  mile,  in  50  seconds, 
beating  Banter,  Maretzek,  and  eight  others  ;  May 
24,  won  the  Tennessee  Stakes  for  two-year-olds. 


386  The  American  Tboroiigbhred 

three-quarters  of  a  mile,  in  1.16,  beating  Bramba- 
letta,  Ripple,  Bootjack,  and  five  others.  St.  Louis, 
June  9,  won  the  Juvenile  Stakes,  for  two-year-olds, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile,  in  1.17J,  beating  Vol- 
tague.  Story,  Sligo,  and  four  others  ;  June  12,  won 
the  Jockey  Club  Stakes,  for  two-year-olds,  one 
mile,  in  1.44,  beating  Lelex,  Voltague,  and  Ennis- 
killen  —  a  fast  and  good  race.  Chicago,  June  21, 
won  the  Criterion  Stakes,  for  two-year-olds,  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile,  in  1.15,  beating  Ripple,  Green- 
land, and  three  others.  This  was  the  fastest 
three-quarters  run  by  a  two-year-old  to  that  date. 
June  26,  won  the  Tremont  Hotel  Stakes,  for  two- 
year-olds,  one  mile,  in  1.48,  beating  Lizzie  S., 
Ripple,  and  Moses.  In  all  these  races,  except 
the  Tennessee  Stakes,  he  carried  100  pounds,  in 
the  Tennessee,  105  pounds.  Saratoga,  August 
14,  ran  third  to  Crickmore  and  Bonnie  Lizzie  in 
the  Windsor  Hotel  Stakes,  for  two-year-olds,  five 
furlongs,  in  1.05,  track  heavy,  beating  Thora  and 
four  others;  August  19,  ran  second  to  Thora  in 
the  Day  Boat  Line  Stakes,  three-quarters  of  a  mile, 
in  I.I 7 J,  beating  Bonnie  Lizzie  and  three  others. 
In  these  races  he  carried  no  pounds.  In  justice 
to  the  colt  it  must  be  stated  that  he  had  changed 
hands  and  did  not  run  up  to  his  previous  form. 


The  Coining  of  the  Modern  Type       387 

At  three  years  old  he  started  in  twenty  races, 
of  which  he  won  eighteen.  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
won  the  Blue  Ribbon  Stakes,  for  three-year- 
olds,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in  2.38,  beating  Geta- 
way, Bend  Or,  Creosote,  and  four  others.  At 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  won  the  Kentucky  Derby 
for  three-year-olds,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in  2.40, 
beating  Lelex,  Alfambra,  and  three  others  ;  won 
the  Clark  Stakes,  for  three-year-olds,  one  and  a 
quarter  miles,  in  2.10},  beating  Alfambra,  Boot- 
jack, Bend  Or,  and  Sligo. 

Jerome  Park,  he  won  a  dash  of  one  mile  and 
a  furlong,  in  2.02I  beating  Sir  Hugh,  Jack  of 
Hearts,  and  Rob  Roy ;  won  a  dash  of  one  mile 
and  three  furlongs,  in  2.34,  track  heavy.  Sheeps- 
head  Bay,  won  the  Tidal  Stakes  for  three-year- 
olds,  one  mile,  in  1.43 J,  beating  Crickmore  and 
Saunterer;  won  the  Coney  Island  Derby  for 
three-year-olds,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in  2.47! 
Baltic  the  only  other  starter.  Monmouth  Park, 
won  the  Ocean  Stakes  for  all  ages,  one  mile 
and  a  furlong,  in  1.57,  beating  Monitor,  Glidelia, 
and  Valentino ;  won  the  Lorillard  Stakes  for 
three-year-olds,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in  2.39J, 
beating  Crickmore  and  Saunterer;  walked  over 
for   a    sweepstakes   of   ^1000   each,    with  ^2000 


388  The  American  Thoroughbred 

added.  Saratoga,  won  the  Travers  Stakes,  for 
three-year-olds,  one  and  three-quarters  miles,  in 
3.07J,  beating  a  field  of  good  horses,  amongst 
which  were  Eole,  Getaway,  and  Compensation ; 
won  the  Sequel  Stakes  for  three-year-olds,  one 
and  three-quarters  miles,  in  3.21,  track  heavy.  In 
this  race  Hindoo  carried  123  pounds,  including 
a  penalty  of  5  pounds,  and  beat  Greenland  and 
Valentino;  won  the  United  States  Hotel  Stakes, 
one  and  a  half  miles,  in  2.36,  beating  Crick- 
more,  Bonfire,  and  Gladiola;  won  the  Kenner 
Stakes  for  three-year-olds,  two  miles,  in  3.32 
—  a  fast  race.  Monmouth  Park,  won  the  Cham- 
pion Stakes  for  all  ages,  one  and  a  half  miles,  in 
2.39,  beating  Monitor  and  Parole ;  won  the  Jersey 
St.  Leger  for  three-year-olds,  one  and  three- 
quarters  miles,  in  3.18,  carrying  123  pounds, 
Bona  Fide  the  only  other  starter.  Sheepshead 
Bay,  won  race  of  mile  heats,  in  1.42I,  1.45^,  Sir 
Hugh  the  only  other  starter ;  won  a  dash  of  one 
mile  in  1.42,  beating  Sir  Hugh  and  Edendary; 
was  second  in  the  Briorhton  Beach  Purse,  one  and 
a  half  miles,  won  by  Crickmore  in  2.36J;  was  third 
in  the  September  Handicap,  one  and  three-quar- 
ters miles,  won  by  Crickmore  in  3.03,  Hindoo 
carrying  123  pounds. 


The  Coming  of  the  Modern  Type       389 

As  a  four-year-old  he  started  six  times  and  won 
five  races.  Louisville,  Kentucky,  won  the  Louis- 
ville Cup,  two  and  a  quarter  miles,  in  3.5  yf,  beat- 
ing Checkmate,  Glidelia,  Lida  Stanhope,  and 
Blazes. 

Won  the  Merchants'  Stakes  for  all  ages,  one 
mile  and  a  furlong,  in  1.59^,  beating  Checkmate, 
Runnymede,  and  Creosote.  Won  the  Turf  Stakes, 
one  and  a  quarter  miles,  in  2.08 J,  carrying  122 
pounds,  beating  Checkmate  (aged),  123  pounds, 
and  Creosote  (four),  1 14  pounds.  Sheepshead  Bay, 
won  the  Coney  Island  Stakes,  for  three-year-olds 
and  upwards,  one  mile  and  a  furlong,  in  1.5  7f, 
Barrett  being  the  only  other  starter;  won  the 
Coney  Island  Cup,  two  and  a  quarter  miles,  in 
3.58,  beating  Eole  and  Parole.  This  was  the 
best  race  run  at  the  distance  during  the  year,  and 
compares  favorably  with  similar  races.  There 
was  no  question  but  that  Hindoo  was  the  best 
race-horse  which  had  appeared  in  this  country  for 
more  than  a  decade.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  horse 
in  England  could  have  beaten  him  in  the  great 
classic  events. 

Along  in  those  years,  running  from  1876  up  to 
the  early  eighties,  there  was  a  very  host  of  mighty 
thoroughbreds  racing  on  American  soil.     By  this 


390  The  American  Tborougbbred 

time  the  breed  had  become  absolutely  a  fixed  one 
in  America,  — so  much  so  that  with  a  fair  degree 
of  certainty  one  could  count  upon  combining  cer- 
tain well-known  American  strains  and  certain 
imported  lines  and  getting  a  race-horse  of  some 
capacity.  As  has  already  been  shown,  the  blood 
of  old  Diomed,  as  represented  in  this  later  time 
by  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Lexington,  had 
become  almost  a  foundation  in  itself.  The  im- 
portation into  this  countiy  of  Glencoe  brought 
into  the  American  pedigrees  the  best  of  all  the 
out-crosses  which  had  arrived  here  since  the  days 
of  Diomed  himself.  In  the  discussion  of  the 
racing  animals  of  this  period  of  the  American 
turf,  the  story  of  them  would  not  be  complete 
without  the  mention  of  this  Glencoe,  whose 
daughters  seem  to  have  been  the  best  of  the 
crosses  which  Lexington  found  for  himself ;  and 
he  added  this  strain  to  that  of  the  Diomed  line, 
to  go  to  make  perhaps  as  great  performers  at  the 
distances  which  they  were  asked  to  go  as  we  have 
ever  had  or  ever  will  have  in  this  country. 

Glencoe  was  by  Sultan  and  was  bred  in  Eng- 
land by  Lord  Jersey,  in  183 1.  He  was  a  beau- 
tiful golden  chestnut,  with  both  hind  legs  white 
half-way  to  the   hocks,  and  a  large   star   in  his 


The  Coming  of  the  Modern  Type       391 

forehead.  His  head  was  a  little  Roman,  very 
expressive  in  character,  with  fine,  thin  muzzle 
and  well  set  on  a  stout  neck,  which  ran  into  well- 
shaped  shoulders,  the  latter  being  oblique  and 
rather  light  in  the  blade.  He  had  good  length, 
with  round  barrel,  well  ribbed  to  strong,  broad 
hips,  a  little  swayed  in  the  back,  with  heavy, 
muscular  quarters,  big  stifles,  sound  legs,  and  feet 
inclined  to  be  a  little  flat.  -  /iJl^^Xy    *fi. 

Glencoe's  racing  career  was  confined  entirely 
to  the  English  turf.  He  was  not  good  enough  to 
win  the  Derby,  but  he  was  third  to  the  great 
Plenipotentiary  for  that  classic  English  event. 
He  did,  however,  win  the  Ascot  Gold  Cup,  two 
and  a  half  miles,  and  many  other  races  of  high 
character. 

Colonel  James  Jackson,  of  Alabama,  sent  an 
order  to  England  to  purchase  the  best  horse  in 
the  market.  He  named  as  his  choices  Plenipo- 
tentiary, Priam,  and  Glencoe.  It  was  Glencoe 
that  fell  to  him  of  the  trio,  -and  the  horse  made 
the  season  of  1836  in  England  as  the  property 
of  Colonel  Jackson.  The  result  of  that  English 
season  was  most  wonderful.  In  that  year  he 
sired  Pocahontas,  Darkness,  Glimpse,  Malaga, 
Ruthless,  Vapor,  and  Wardan.     Pocahontas,  this 


392  The  American  Tbowugbbred 

daughter,  became  the  most  wonderful  brood  mare 
in  all  of  English  history.  Her  three  great  sons, 
Stockwell,  Rataplan,  and  King  Tom,  have  been 
among  the  greatest  sires  which  the  English  have 
known.  There  is  hardly  a  good  race-horse  in 
England  to-day  which  does  not  trace  to  one  of 
these. 

The  infusion  of  Glencoe  blood  added  to  the 
fame  of  American  racers.  His  daughters  proved 
—  especially  when  bred  to  Lexington  —  wonder- 
ful brood  mares.  Lecomte,  Starke,  Prioress, 
Brown  Dick,  Lodi,  Fleetwing,  Idle  wild,  and  the 
dazzling  trio.  Asteroid,  Kentucky,  and  Norfolk, 
all  came  from  Glencoe  mares. 

At  twenty-seven  years  of  age  the  old  chestnut 
died,  at  Georgetown,  Kentucky ;  and  his  owner  at 
the  time,  A.  Keene  Richards,  Esq.,  caused  him  to 
be  buried  in  his  garden,  near  the  spot  where  his 
famed  daughter  Peytona  had  been  laid  to  rest. 
Age  did  not  deal  kindly  with  Glencoe.  The 
painting  of  him  just  before  his  death,  by  Scott, 
represents  a  physical  wreck — sightless  eyes,  back 
deeply  swayed,  and  other  plain  marks  of  feeble 
age.   |-  ->  -  ,^  ^■\  '- 

It  was  in  that  time  of  the  seventies  and  early 
eighties  that  the  sons  of  imported  Bonnie  Scot- 


The  Coming  of  the  Modem  Type       393 

land  began  to  race  themselves  into  public  view. 
Bonnie  Scotland  came  to  this  country  by  way 
of  Boston.  He  was  purchased  from  his  Boston 
owner,  Captain  Cornish,  by  the  firm  of  Reber  & 
Kutz,  and  taken  to  Ohio.  There  were  very  few 
opportunities  for  him  in  that  state,  because  there 
were  not  many  thoroughbred  mares  in  the  neigh- 
borhood ;  and,  after  passing  through  a  number 
of  hands,  he  came  finally  to  the  ownership  of 
General  W.  E.  Harding,  the  proprietor  of  the 
breeding  principality  known  as  Belle  Meade 
Farm,  in   1872. 

There  he  had  every  opportunity,  and  immedi- 
ately began  to  turn  out  a  remarkable  series  of 
winners,  that  came  to  be  known  on  the  turf  as 
the  Busy  B's.  Although  dead,  he  stood  in  1882 
at  the  head  of  the  winning  sires,  on  account 
of  the  remarkable  running  of  his  sons  and 
daughters. 

The  best  of  them  all,  perhaps,  was  Luke  Black- 
burn, of  whom  we  have  spoken,  and  Glidelia,  a 
beautiful  daughter  of  his.  Luke  Blackburn  set 
the  record  for  a  mile  and  a  half  at  2.34,  in  which 
notch  it  stood  for  many,  many  years.  Glidelia 
put  the  record  for  a  mile  and  three-quarters  at 
3.01,  and  that  was  not  disturbed  through  many 


394  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

racing  seasons.  Bramble  was  second  only  to 
Luke  Blackburn  as  a  horse  to  carry  weight  and 
go  over  a  distance  of  ground.  Racing  from 
1877  to  1 88 1,  he  almost  literally,  from  his  four- 
year-old  to  his  six-year-old  form,  swept  all  the 
cup  horses  before  him.  He  had  been  successful 
both  as  a  two-year-old  and  a  three-year-old,  but 
when  it  came  to  his  four-year-old  racing,  where 
the  distances  were  longer  and  the  weights  were 
higher,  he  became  the  great  stalwart  among  thor- 
oughbreds to  which  his  heritage  would  entitle 
him. 

He  started  in  his  four-year-old  form  twenty 
times,  won  fifteen  races,  was  second  in  two,  third 
in  one,  and  unplaced  but  twice.  During  that 
time  he  won  races  of  all  characters,  but  he  distin- 
guished himself  by  taking  the  Congress  Stakes 
at  Saratoga,  the  Baltimore  Cup,  the  Monmouth 
Cup,  the  Westchester  Cup,  and  the  Saratoga 
Cup.  He  was  peculiarly  a  horse  of  gameness 
and  of  stamina,  and  had  he  lived  earlier,  in  the 
times  of  the  four-milers,  he  doubtless  would  have 
been  a  striking  character  on  battle-fields  of  that 
kind.  Duke  of  Magenta,  Bushwhacker,  Day 
Star,  Warfield,  Lou,  Lanier,  Governor  Hampton, 
Monitor,   Susquehanna,  and   in  fact  every  good 


The  Coming  of  the  Modem  Type       395 

horse  of  the  day,  was  at  one  time  or  other  beaten 
by  this  son  of  Bonnie  Scotland,  the  rival  of 
Luke  Blackburn  for  the  title  of  the  best  of  the 
Busy  B's. 

One  cannot  forget  in  these  years  of  the  seven- 
ties the  son  of  imported  Leamington  out  of 
Lida  by  Lexington,  called  Enquirer.  He  was  a 
performer  in  the  early  seventies  and  was  by 
many  given  rank  as  the  best  son  of  Leamington, 
although  Longfellow  was  then  alive.  He  won 
during  his  career  the  Phoenix  Hotel  and  Citizen 
Stakes,  at  Lexington,  the  Continental  Hotel  and 
Robins  Stakes  at  Long  Branch,  and  the  Kenner 
Stakes  at  Saratoga.  And  all  these  he  captured 
in  1870,  when  he  was  a  three-year-old.  He  gave 
way  in  his  fore  leg  in  his  four-year-old  form  and 
was  retired  when  he  seemed  to  be  most  promising. 
An  attempt  was  made  to  train  him  again  at  seven 
years  old,  and  he  did  start  in  one  race,  but  he  was 
not  himself,  and  he  was  again  retired.  The  gran- 
dam  of  Enquirer  was  a  mare  called  Lize,  and  she 
was  a  daughter  of  that  American  Eclipse  who  beat 
Henry  in  the  great  North  vs.  South  match.  En- 
quirer met  Longfellow,  his  close  relative,  in  the 
Phoenix  Hotel  Stakes  at  mile  heats.  Enquirer  won 
in  straight  heats  and  distanced  Longfellow  in  the 


396  The  American  TboroiLgbhred 

second  one.  Longfellow  was  not,  however,  right 
up  to  a  race  at  the  time,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
Enquirer  was  his  superior  either  in  speed  or 
stamina.  As  a  sire  Enquirer  was  more  than  usu- 
ally successful,  for  he  was  given  a  good  opportunity. 
It  would  be  impossible  within  the  confines  of 
this  volume  to  go  into  the  detail  of  the  racing  of 
all  of  those  stout  and  sturdy  horses  which  cropped 
up  in  the  time  between  the  rejuvenation  of  the 
turf  and  the  beginning  of  the  eighties,  —  Falsetto, 
Duke  of  Magenta,  Duke  of  Montrose,  Glidelia, 
Aristides,  Eolus ;  Foxhall,  who  went  to  England 
for  his  showing  and  won  the  Grand  Prix  de  Paris 
and  was  second  to  the  great  Bend  Or  in  the 
City  and  Suburban,  won  the  Cesarewitch,  and 
other  great  stakes;  Grenada,  Grimstead,  Himyar, 
Kingfisher,  Monarchist,  Sensation  ;  Spendthrift,  a 
grand  race-horse ;  Springbok,  a  very  mighty  one  ; 
Tom  Ochiltree,  a  great  distance  traveller;  Uncas, 
Virgil,  Wanderer,  Wildidle,  and  others  belonging 
to  this  particular  decade  of  the  American  horse. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE    RACING    OF   TO-DAY 

Swinging  into  1880,  the  racing  system  had 
already  undergone  a  marked  change.  It  was 
then  a  foregone  conclusion  that  Jerome  Park  must 
inevitably  pass  out  of  existence  because  of  the 
march  of  civic  progress  in  that  direction,  which 
rendered  its  ground  too  valuable  to  be  reserved 
for  racing  purposes.  And  so  the  gentlemen  of 
the  city  who  wished  to  maintain  the  high  stand- 
ard which  Jerome  Park  had  created  began  to  cast 
about  for  a  new  racing  home.  They  found  one 
down  on  the  old,  time-honored  flats  of  Long 
Island,  and  there  they  built  a  course  and  named 
it  Sheepshead  Bay. 

Then  the  now  famous  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club  was  born,  and  it  might  be  said  that  there 
was  another  era  in  the  story  of  the  American 
horse.  He  became  more  popular  than  ever,  and, 
though  he  was  not  now  asked  to  race  at  such 
long  distances,  he  was  asked  to  do  more  racing, 
397 


39^  The  American  Thoroughbred 

and  the  meetings  at  Sheepshead  Bay  were 
stretched  out  to  some  length,  so  eager  had  the 
Eastern  population  become  for  this  most  exhilar- 
ating of  outdoor  sports. 

Brighton  Beach,  now  one  of  the  members  of  the 
big  metropolitan  series,  had  been  hastily  con- 
structed and  a  meeting  given  in  1879.  That 
meeting  lasted  a  number  of  weeks  and  was  suc- 
cessful, and  many  were  looking  to  Brighton 
Beach  as  a  possible  successor  of   Jerome    Park. 

The  real  genesis  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club  was  an  organization  projected  by  Leonard 
Jerome,  J.  G.  K.  Lawrence,  and  other  gentlemen 
interested  in  the  thoroughbred ;  and  with  hardly 
any  notice  to  the  public,  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club  gave  a  meeting  in  1879  at  the  old  Prospect 
Park  trotting  track  on  the  Boulevard,  one  mile 
this  side  of  Coney  Island.  The  building  of  the 
Sheepshead  Bay  track  followed  this  success  at 
Prospect  Park. 

The  organization  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club  was  one  of  the  happy  things  which  had  oc- 
curred for  the  race-horse  of  America.  The  Club 
was  projected  by  the  ablest  and  most  respectable 
turfmen  in  the  East,  and  was,  and  is  still,  sup- 
ported by  almost  inexhaustible  treasure.     It  came 


The  Racing  of  To-day  399 

into  existence  upon  the  most  approved  plans  for 
that  day  and  was  organized  with  judgment  and 
prudence.  Strange  to  say,  it  came  to  life  so  sud- 
denly that  it  surprised  every  one.  The  only 
notice  of  its  advent  was  its  announced  programme 
for  its  inaugural  meeting  in  June,  1879. 

From  the  beginning  of  Sheepshead  Bay,  one 
might  say,  we  had  the  inception  of  what  we  can 
call  the  American  turf  of  to-day,  and  we  had  with 
us  the  American  race-horse  of  to-day.  The  four- 
milers  were  gone,  the  cup  horses  were  growing 
fewer  in  number,  and  the  mile  and  mile  and  a 
quarter  animal  was  beginning  to  be  the  popular 
racing  tool  in  this  country. 

At  that  time,  August  Belmont,  the  father  of 
the  present  racing  magnate,  was  strong  upon  the 
turf  and  had  in  his  stable  that  good  mare  Susque- 
hanna, Fiddlestring,  Carita,  and  others  of  his  own 
breeding.  G.  L.  Lorillard  had  a  magnificent 
stable  made  up  of  Harold,  Monitor,  Farita,  Sensa- 
tion, Grenada,  Kingcraft,  Judge  Murray,  Blazes, 
Spinaway,  and  others  of  note.  Charles  Reed,  the 
Tennessee  turfman,  had  Trouble,  Day  Star,  and 
that  wonderful  filly  Thora,  who  was  then  but  a 
two-year-old,  the  daughter  of  Longfellow  that  was 
destined  to  go  on  and  be  one  of  the  great  mares 


400  The  American  Tborotigbhred 

of  her  time.  D.  D.  Withers,  the  genius  of  Mon- 
mouth Park,  had  Invermoor,  Report,  Belinda,  and 
a  host  of  those  King  Ernest  two-  and  three-year- 
olds  that  were  to  distinguish  themselves  so  highly. 
Ex-Governor  Odin  Bowie,  of  Baltimore,  owned 
Oriole,  Belle,  that  great  mare  Tennessee,  Sports- 
man, Crickmore,  and  a  band  of  highly  bred 
youngsters.  Walter  Jennings  had  a  select  stable, 
of  Glenmore,  the  cup  winner  and  conqueror  of 
Luke  Blackburn,  Ballankeel,  and  others.  James 
R.  Keene  owned  Spendthrift,  Lord  Murphy,  Dan 
Sparling,  Miser,  and  a  small  band  of  young  ones. 
The  Dwyer  Brothers  had  begun  to  be  a  power, 
and  in  their  ownership  was  Bramble,  Rhadaman- 
thus,  the  horse  which  founded  their  fortunes,  Luke 
Blackburn,  Elias  Lawrence,  and  a  few  others. 

It  was  a  propitious  time  for  the  opening  of  a 
new  track  and  for  a  new  association  to  come  into 
the  field,  because  the  interest  in  the  race-horse 
had  reached  that  stage  where  it  seemed  that  not 
enough  racing  was  being  given  to  satisfy  the 
appetite  of  the  public.  The  lengthy  meeting  at 
Brighton  Beach  of  the  year  before  showed  the 
possibilities  of  racing  at  one  track  for  a  longer 
time  than  a  week. 

It    was    on   the   19th  of  June,   1880,  that    the 


The  Racing  of  To-day  401 

Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  held  its  first  meeting 
at  Sheepshead  Bay.  Brighton  Beach  was  to  clash 
with  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  but  it  was 
recognized  by  the  best  class  of  people  that  the 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  was  to  be  the  resort  of 
fashion. 

It  might  be  well  here  to  mention  the  names  of 
those  public-spirited  men  who  were  responsible 
for  the  organization  of  what  is  now  the  greatest 
of  all  the  American  jockey  clubs,  and  which  bids 
fair  to  be  that  one  which  will  set  the  standard  for 
the  American  turf  for  many  years  to  come.  The 
original  names  were :  — 

H.  C.  Babcock  P.  Lorillard,  Jr. 

J.  H.  Bradford  James  V.  Parker 

A.  J.  Cassatt  A.  Belmont  Purdy 

C.  Fellows  A.  Wright  Sanford 

John  G.  Heckscher  F.  A.  Schermerhorn 

James  R.  Keene  Richard  Peters 

A.  Belmont,  Jr.  George  P.  Wetmore 

General  Butterfield  Skipworth  Gordon 

Robert  Center  Chris.  R.  Robert 

F.  W.  Griswold  Harry  Alexandre 

Leonard  W.  Jerome  William  R.  Travers 

J.  G.  K.  Lawrence  William  K.  Vanderbilt . 

From  this  list,  Leonard  W.  Jerome,  whose  con- 
nection with    the  turf  had    been   one  extending 


402  The  American  Thoroughbred 

over  a  series  of  years,  always  prominent,  and  as 
favorably  known,  both  as  a  turfman  and  a  gentle- 
man, as  any  one  on  the  continent,  was  elected 
president.  John  G.  Heckscher  was  treasurer, 
Captain  J.  H.  Coster  was  clerk  of  the  course,  and 
J.  G.  K.  Lawrence,  to  whom  we  owe  the  existence 
of  some  of  the  best  stake  events  on  the  American 
turf,  was  secretary. 

Looking  over  those  names,  one  can  have  an 
idea  into  what  care  the  American  race-horse  had 
come  in  this  year  of  1880,  when  the  turf  of  the 
present  and  the  horse  of  the  present  were  having 
birth. 

On  that  first  day  at  Sheepshead  Bay  Luke 
Blackburn,  then  a  three-year-old,  won  his  Tidal 
Stakes,  and  Spinaway  won  her  Foam  Stakes,  for 
two-year-olds.  These  were  the  first  of  that  long 
list  of  stake-winners  which  have  become  famous 
through  their  performances  in  contest  at  Sheeps- 
head Bay,  those  performers  which  have  been 
Suburban  and  Futurity  and  Realization  winners. 

In  1 88 1  Hindoo,  then  in  the  colors  of  the 
Dwyer  Brothers,  began  to  show  that  magnificent 
quality  which  was  his  and  which  has  been  des- 
canted upon  at  length  in  another  chapter.  It  was 
he  who  gave  evidence  of  his  three-year-old  ex- 


LEONARD    W.    JEROME 


The  Racing  of  To-day  403 

cellence  by  winning  the  second  running  of  the 
Tidal  Stakes  in  1881.  Behind  him  were  those 
good  horses,  Crickmore  in  Odin  Bowie's  colors, 
and  George  Lorillard's  Saunterer.  That  was  dis- 
tinctly Hindoo's  year,  for  it  was  the  time  when  he 
carried  all  before  him.  It  was  a  great  year  for 
American  horses  all  round,  for  it  was  the  time 
when  Foxhall  won  the  Grand  Prix  at  Paris  and 
Iroquois  won  the  Derby  in  England.  Glenmore, 
Monitor,  Parole,  Luke  Blackburn,  and  Uncas 
were  the  cup  starters  that  year  at  Sheepshead 
Bay.  Monitor  had  won  the  Baltimore  Cup  and 
Parole  had  won  the  Westchester  Cup.  Luke 
Blackburn,  belonging  to  the  Dwyers,  was  a  one  to 
three  favorite  and  ran  unplaced.  It  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  end  for  Blackburn.  Glenmore  cap- 
tured the  event  with  apparent  ease.  Monitor 
was  second  to  him  and  Parole  was  lapped  on 
Monitor.  Luke  Blackburn  was  pulled  up  and 
came  in  in  evident  pain  with  his  feet.  Uncas 
was  merely  in  the  race  to  make  pace  for  Parole 
and  cut  no  figure  in  the  finish  of  the  race.  That 
cup,  bringing  together  as  it  did  the  best  horses 
of  the  season  among  the  three-year-olds  and  up- 
ward, was  in  a  fashion  the  striking  race  of  the 
year.     The  two  miles  and  a  quarter  were  run  in 


404  The  American  Thoroughbred 

3.58J.  The  first  mile  of  it  was  done  in  143J, 
with  Luke  Blackburn  galloping  head  and  head 
with  Uncas.  In  the  race  Luke  Blackburn  burst 
a  hoof,  and  that  accounts  for  his  being  unplaced. 
Those  who  knew  him  and  believed  him  to  be  the 
best  horse  of  his  time  attributed  the  defeat  en- 
tirely to  the  accident,  and  believe  to  this  day  that 
had  he  remained  sound  such  an  one  as  Glenmore 
could  never  have  beaten  him. 

Thora,  the  beautiful  Longfellow  filly  belonging 
to  Charles  Reed,  began  to  show  her  class  in  that 
season.  Thora  was  a  remarkable  mare.  She 
was  bred  by  H.  P.  McGrath,  near  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  and  was  bought  by  Mr.  Reed  when  a 
yearling.  She  was  trained  at  Saratoga.  As  a 
two-year-old  she  beat  both  Hindoo  and  Crickmore, 
and  won  four  out  of  eleven  starts.  In  the  after 
life  which  was  given  her  she  proved  to  be  the  best 
mare  of  her  seasons,  especially  when  going  over  a 
distance  of  ground.  The  Dwyer  Brothers  in  that 
year  also  owned  Onandaga,  and  that  Sheeps- 
head  Bay  meeting  was  marked  by  a  $10,000 
match  with  Onandaga,  a  two-year-old,  on  one  side 
and  Pierre  Lorillard's  Sachem,  another  two-year- 
old,  on  the  other.  It  was  merely  a  dash  at  the 
two-year-old  distance  of  six  furlongs,  but  it  shows 


The  Racing  of  To-day  405 

that  there  was  some  sportsmanship  abroad  in  the 
land  when  a  race  of  this  value  could  be  made 
between  a  couple  of  youngsters  for  a  scramble. 

In  1882  Hindoo  had  his  chance  in  the  Coney 
Island  Cup,  which  was  the  big  race  of  the  year, 
since  it  came  after  two  other  cups  had  been  run. 
And  there  was  a  smashing  field  of  them  on  that 
June  afternoon.  Hindoo  was  opposed  to  Fred 
Gebhard's  Eole  and  to  Parole.  Even  with  this 
class  against  him,  Hindoo  had  so  stamped  himself 
upon  the  minds  of  the  American  people  as  a 
great  race-horse  that  he  was  at  ten  to  three  on. 
After  a  contest  that  was  exciting  to  the  greatest 
degree,  Hindoo  drew  away  from  Eole,  who  had 
been  battling  with  him,  and  won  the  race  gallop- 
ing by  three  lengths.  Parole  was  pulled  up  a 
bad  last.  Hindoo's  race  was  run  in  3.58,  three- 
quarters  of  a  second  faster  than  Glenmore  had 
run  it.  Thora  was  one  of  the  entries  for  the 
Coney  Island  Cup,  but  she  did  not  start  for  the 
reason  that  that  superb  mare  had  won  both 
the  Baltimore  and  Westchester  Cups  that  spring 
and  was  penalized  in  the  Coney  Island  Cup  10 
pounds  for  her  remarkable  accomplishment. 

Throughout  that  entire  season  of  racing,  the 
crack  horse  of  the  year  was  Hindoo,  and  the  great 


4o6  The  American  Tboroughbred 

unbeatable  mare  of  the  year,  that  is,  unbeatable 
by  anything  of  her  own  sex,  was  Thora. 

Eole,  again  starting  in  Mr.  Gebhard's  colors, 
won  the  Coney  Island  Cup  of  1883.  He  was 
then  a  five-year-old,  and,  although  a  good  horse 
in  a  time  when  there  were  a  number  of  good 
horses  running,  he  captured  more  than  the  ordi- 
nary share  of  events.  He  had  to  beat  General 
Monroe  and  Monitor  in  the  race,  and  he  did  so 
under  a  bit  of  rousing  with  the  whip  at  the  end, 
winning  with  half  a  dozen  lengths  between  him 
and  General  Monroe.  He  w^as  far  and  away  the 
best  horse  that  Mr.  Gebhard  owned  in  the  num- 
ber of  years  that  he  was  racing,  and  came  very 
near  to  championship  form.  Still,  he  was  not  a 
Hindoo  by  long  odds. 

There  was  a  Derby  run  at  Sheepshead  Bay  at 
the  time,  and  it  took  a  pretty  fair  colt  to  win  it. 
Grenada  captured  it  at  its  first  running,  in  1880, 
and  then  in  succession  Hindoo,  Runnymede,  and 
Barnes  picked  it  up  in  beautiful  contests,  Barnes 
winning  it  in  the  season  of  1833.  He  was  a  full 
brother  to  Runnymede,  being  by  Billet  out  of 
Mercedes.  Barnes  went  along  to  be  a  handy 
winner  for  the  Dwyers  after  that. 

That  was  also  the  season  when  we  began  to 


The  Racing  of  To-day  407 

have  a  view  of  that  class  which  was  in  Miss 
Woodford,  the  brown  filly  belonging  to  the 
Dwyer  Brothers,  by  Billet  out  of  Fancy  Jane. 
She  had  performed  already  so  cleverly  that  when 
she  started  in  the  Mermaid  Stakes  at  Coney 
Island  she  was  barred  in  the  betting ;  and  ever 
thereafter,  so  long  as  she  was  upon  the  turf,  she 
was  regarded  as  one  of  its  most  splendid  mares, 
although  she  had  not  that  class  in  going  over  a 
distance  of  ground  which  Thora  undoubtedly 
possessed.     She  was  never  a  cup  mare. 

Barnum,  "  the  iron  horse,"  winner  of  a  hundred 
races,  son  of  Bonnie  Scotland,  was  a  good  horse 
in  1883.  In  overnight  handicaps,  at  any  route 
from  a  mile  up  to  two  miles,  Barnum  was  a  horse 
that  had  to  be  reckoned  with  always;  for,  while 
he  was  in  no  sense  a  champion,  he  was  one  of 
those  honest,  hard-as-hickory  horses  that  would 
run  you  a  good  race  every  time  for  the  asking, 
and  could  always  be  depended  upon  to  be  there 
or  thereabouts  in  anything  in  which  he  started. 

In  1884  we  saw  the  running  at  Sheepshead  of 
the  first  of  that  race  which  more  than  any  other 
that  we  have  has  become  a  national  event.  It 
was  the  initial  of  the  Suburban.  And  the  winner 
of   this   first    Suburban  was   General   Monroe,  a 


4o8  The  American  Thoroughbred 

six-year-old  horse  by  Tom  Bowling.  He  carried 
124  pounds  and  beat  War  Eagle,  Jack  of  Hearts, 
George  Kinney,  Heel  and  Toe,  Kinglike,  Barnes, 
Pizaro,  Dutch  Roller,  and  a  number  of  others, 
running  a  mile  and  a  quarter  in  2.1 1  J.  The  race 
was  a  very  exciting  one,  and  in  a  splendid  finish 
General  Monroe  won  by  only  a  neck  from  War 
Eagle,  and  War  Eagle  was  but  a  short  head  in 
front  of  Jack  of  Hearts.  Delilah  was  jumping  on 
their  heels.  The  Suburban  field  that  year  was 
made  up  of  a  high-class  lot,  although  some  of  the 
good  ones,  notably  Miss  Woodford,  were  missing. 
Miss  Woodford,  on  the  same  day,  just  to  show 
that  she  was  still  a  factor,  beat  Duke  of  Montal- 
ban.  Chanticleer,  and  Pinafore,  all  of  them  clever 
performers,  in  a  dash  of  a  mile  and  a  half,  with 
1 1 3  pounds  on  her.     She  won  easily  at  that. 

The  Suburban  is  the  one  great  fixed  event  of 
those  days  which  still  remains  to  us  in  its  original 
form.  We  have  the  Belmont,  Withers,  Tidal, 
and  other  stakes,  for  three-year-olds,  but  they  are 
the  stakes  of  that  day  in  name  only,  since  con- 
ditions and  distances  in  them  have  been  so 
frequently  changed  that  they  have  lost  their 
originality  and  have  merely  preserved  the  name. 

George    Kinney,   one    of   the  sons  of    Bonnie 


The  Racing  of  To-day  409 

Scotland,  was  a  good  horse  in  1884.  General 
Monroe  had  the  year  of  his  life  in  1884,  for  after 
his  Suburban  victory  he  came  back  and  won  the 
Cup.  Only  one  animal  could  be  found  to  start 
against  him,  and  that  was  the  chestnut  filly  Blue 
Grass  Belle,  who  had  no  particular  class.  The 
Cup  that  season  was  a  great  disappointment.  It 
was  also  the  year  for  the  appearance  of  Wanda, 
a  chestnut  filly  by  Mortimer  belonging  to  Pierre 
Lorillard.  She  beat  a  smashing  field  in  the  Surf 
Stakes  and  gave  them  a  line  on  her  future  excel- 
lence. So  far  as  performance  in  the  big  all-age 
events  of  the  year  were  concerned,  General  Mon- 
roe came  very  near  being  the  best  horse  of  the 
season.  His  winning  of  the  Westchester  Handi- 
cap at  Jerome  Park  was  one  of  the  events  of  that 
meeting,  although  the  field  opposed  to  him  was 
not  one  of  the  highest  class. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

IN  Hanover's  time 

After  the  disappearance  of  Luke  Blackburn 
and  Hindoo  from  the  turf,  it  took  a  long  time 
to  bring  out  another  horse  that  was  so  much 
superior  to  his  fellows  as  to  become  in  a  way  a 
national  American  horse.  There  were  many  of 
what  you  might  call  good  horses,  but  they  were 
not  turf  heroes.  Perhaps  the  first  one  to  come 
into  public  worship  after  the  time  of  Hindoo 
was  Hindoo's  own  son,  Hanover,  foaled  in  this 
year  of  1884,  out  of  Bourbon  Belle.  Hanover 
was  of  that  kind  to  absolutely  dominate  all 
racing  animals  of  his  day  and  to  bring  many 
shekels  to  the  coffers  of  his  owner.  He  was  a 
magnificent  race-horse,  whose  performances  are 
so  recent  as  to  be  remembered  in  general  by 
almost  every  turfman  living  to-day.  At  the  time 
of  his  running  there  was  constant  discussion  as 
to  whether  he  was  a  superior  race-horse  to  his 
distinguished  sire.  It  was  argued  that  the 
410 


In  Hanover's  Time  411 

farther  the  Vandal  family  went  in  the  matter 
of  generations  the  better  it  got,  and  that  this 
horse  Hanover  was  as  much  better  than  Hindoo 
as  Hindoo  was  greater  than  Virgil.  However, 
the  old  friends  of  Hindoo  still  cling  to  him  as 
the  more  eminent  race-horse  of  the  two,  and 
regard  Hanover  merely  as  the  most  brilliant 
son    of   a    brilliant   sire. 

Hanover  started  fifty  times  at  two,  three,  four, 
and  five  years  old,  winning  thirty-two  races.  He 
was  thirteen  times  second,  three  times  third,  and 
only  twice  unplaced ;  and  his  total  winnings  in 
his  four  years  of  activity  amounted  to  $120,912. 
He  won  during  his  racing  career  many  of  the 
most  prominent  stakes  of  the  American  turf, — 
the  Hopeful,  July,  Sapling,  Carlton,  Withers, 
Belmont,  Brooklyn  Derby,  Swift,  Tidal,  Coney 
Island  Derby,  Emporium,  Spindrift,  Lorillard, 
Stockton,  Stevens,  Barnegat,  Champion,  United 
States  Hotel,  Second  Special,  Breckinridge, 
Dixie,  Coney  Island  Cup,  California,  Merchants' 
Express,  Coney  Island  and  Brookdale  handicaps. 

No  horse  in  recent  years,  leaving  the  turf  for 
subsequent  glories  in  the  breeding  paddock,  was 
more  sought  for  by  the  students  of  blood  lines 
than  Hanover.     He  not  only  came  from  the  old 


412  The  American  Tborotigbbred 

Tranby  Mare  through  the  sire  line  of  Vandal 
directly,  but  his  dam,  Bourbon  Belle  by  imported 
Bonnie  Scotland,  was  out  of  Ella  D.  by  Vandal. 
So  this  chestnut  colt  had  two  crosses  of  Vandal 
close  up. 

/  The  year  1884  was  marked  by  the  happiest 
event  which  has  ever  taken  place  for  the  Western 
turf.  It  was  the  season  for  the  inaugural  meeting 
of  the  now  famous  Washington  Park  Jockey 
Club  at  Chicago.  That  organization  was  built 
upon  the  same  principles  which  had  made  Jerome 
Park  so  brilliant  a  success  in  1866,  and  which 
had  in  more  recent  years  given  Sheepshead  Bay 
the  premier  place  on  the  Eastern  turf.  The  men 
who  made  up  the  Washington  Park  Jockey  Club 
were  those  gentlemen  who  were  most  conspicuous 
in  the  social  and  business  life  of  Chicago.  There 
had  been  previous  racing  of  high  character  in  the 
Windy  City,  but  it  had  taken  on  more  or  less  of 
a  professional  feature.  When  this  social  body 
announced  a  meeting  and  constructed  a  beautiful 
race-course  easily  accessible  to  the  city,  and  built 
a  club-house  that  was  almost  a  palace,  the  racing 
of  the  West  took  on  an  entirely  new  aspect. 
General  Phil  Sheridan  was  the  first  president  of 
the  club,  and  on  the  opening  day,  June  28,  1884, 


In  Hanover's  Time  413 

General  Sheridan  was  the  presiding  steward  and 
General  Robinson  and  Major  J.  F.  Clark  of  Lex- 
ington assisted  him. 

That  afternoon  saw  the  first  running  of  the 
American  Derby,  now  one  of  the  national  events 
of  the  American  turf,  run  at  the  true  Derby  dis- 
tance of  a  mile  and  a  half.  Ed  Corrigan's  splen- 
did filly  Modesty,  a  daughter  of  War  Dance, 
won  this  first  running  of  the  event.  Since  her 
day  the  American  Derby  has  been  captured 
by  some  distinguished  horses  and  two  or  three 
bad  ones.  Within  late  years  it  has  become 
essentially  the  meeting-place  for  the  best  of  the 
three-year-olds  of  both  the  East  and  the  West, 
and  it  is  the  only  race  now  run  in  the  United 
States  which  presents  the  old-time  feature  of 
being  a  sectional  contest.  The  Southerners,  the 
Californians,  and  the  Easterners  annually  face 
each  other  there  in  this  battle  for  three-year-olds, 
with  their  weights  up,  over  a  mile  and  a  half  of 
running ;  and  this  American  Derby  of  ours  annu- 
ally presents  to  us  one  of  the  grandest  outdoor 
sights  to  be  seen  in  America.  It  is  the  fashion- 
able event  of  all  the  Middle  West.  The  Wash- 
ington Park  Jockey  Club  has  done  more  for  this 
race-horse  of  ours  than  all  other  Western  organi- 


414  The  American  Thoroughbred 

zations  combined,  because  it  has  elevated  the 
character  of  the  sport  and  has  brought  to  the 
admiration  of  the  American  race-horse  the  best 
class  of  people  who  live  in  the  Lake  and  the 
Mississippi  River  country.  ^ 

The  season  of  1885,  for  some  reason  or  other, 
distincdy  lacked  brilliancy,  and  not  a  horse 
cropped  up  to  become  a  turf  giant.  The  Sub- 
urban, which  was  supposed  to  bring  together  the 
best  of  the  all-age  division,  was  a  poor  race 
indeed,  and  was  won  by  an  ordinary  horse  called 
Pontiac.  General  Monroe  was  again  started,  but 
it  was  evident  that  the  old  hero  was  not  himself, 
and  it  was  not  expected  that  he  could  win. 

Dew  Drop  made  her  bow  as  a  two-year-old. 
Though  she  ran  admirably,  she  was  not  so  much 
better  than  Portland  and  other  two-year-olds  of 
that  season  as  to  be  called  a  champion.  It  was 
the  season  in  which  we  first  had  substantial  hear- 
ing of  Volante,  the  Grinstead  colt  in  E.  J.  Bald- 
win's stable.  He  won  the  American  Derby, 
carrying  123  pounds,  and  beat  Favor,  Trouba- 
dour (then  owned  by  Milton  Young,)  AltaJ;  and 
others.  Volante  came  along  to  be  a  good  horse 
for  us.  Hidalgo,  the  black  Spaniard  from  Cali- 
fornia,  came   east    to    show   us   a    three-year-old 


In  Hanover's  Time  415 

that  could  run  some,  and  we  afterwards  saw  him 
in  a  finish  that  will  be  remembered  as  long  as 
the  Brooklyn  Handicap  remains  to  memory. 

A  host  of  good  ones  came  in  the  racing  season 
of  1886.  Dwyer  Brothers'  Miss  Woodford  was  at 
the  very  height  of  her  glory.  They  sent  her  out 
to  St.  Louis  to  meet  Freeland,  the  Western  cham- 
pion. There  was  a  stake  in  St.  Louis  called  the 
Eclipse  Stakes,  to  which  ^10,000  was  to  be  added 
if  Freeland  and  Miss  Woodford  should  start. 
Freeland  declined,  Mr.  Corrigan,  his  owner,  stat- 
ing that  the  horse  was  unfit  to  go  to  the  post  on 
account  of  the  condition  of  his  legs.  The  asso- 
ciation, with  rare  liberality,  resolved  on  adding 
the  full  $10,000  to  the  stake  at  any  rate,  and  a 
cracking  field  went  to  the  post  in  Miss  Woodford, 
"Lucky"  Baldwin's  Volante,  Porter  Ashe's  Alta, 
and  Corrigan's  Modesty.  Miss  Woodford  was  a 
hot  favorite  and  won  a  grand  race  by  a  shade 
over  a  length  from  Volante.  It  was  one  of  the 
greatest  days  that  St.  Louis  had  seen  in  many 
years.  Miss  Woodford  returned  to  the  East  and 
continued  that  triumphal  career  which  marked 
her  as  one  of  the  best  mares  that  the  turf  had 
seen  for  5Aears.  She  met  one  horse  during  the 
season  that  could  hold  her  level  in  a  fair,  square, 


4i6  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

open  race,  and  that  was  Troubadour,  and  he  beat 
her  in  a  match. 

It  was  also  Troubadour's  year,  he  being  the 
first  really  great  horse  that  Captain  Sam  Brown 
ever  owned.  He  won  the  Suburban  Handicap, 
beating  a  fast  field  in  which  Lizzie  Dwyer  was 
favorite  at  three  to  one.  The  track  was  very 
heavy.  Troubadour  won,  probably  because  of  the 
condition  of  the  course,  as  Lizzie  Dwyer  was  at 
that  time  in  splendid  form,  and  on  a  fast  track 
would  probably  have  been  the  victor  at  the 
weights.  Dry  Monopole,  Inspector  B.,  and  Mr.  A. 
J.  Cassatt's  splendid  horse  The  Bard  were  among 
the  three-year-olds  that  were  coming  to  the  front 
and  -showing  promise  as  handicap  horses.  The 
Dwyer  Brothers  flashed  for  the  first  time  on  the 
public  that  equine  whirlwind  Tremont.  Tremont 
was  a  black  colt  by  Virgil  out  of  Anne  Fief  by 
Alarm.  Such  was  his  high  rate  of  speed  that 
there  was  nothing  in  his  two-year-old  year  that 
could  give  him  the  semblance  of  a  beating,  whether 
it  was  upon  muddy  track  or  dry  track.  Tremont 
could  flash  off  with  an  electric  burst,  tiptoe  every- 
thing behind  him,  and  win  in  a  gallop.  He  was 
one  of  those  two-year-olds  that  outclassed  every- 
thing of  his  year.    Accident  prevented  his  return- 


In  Hanover's  Time  417 

ing  as  a  three-year-old,  and  he  never  raced  after 
that  season.  It  is  likely,  had  he  gone  on  and 
trained,  that  he  would  have  taken  his  place  along 
with  Luke  Blackburn,  Hindoo,  Hanover,  and 
those  acknowledged  champions  who  had  preceded 
him. 

Splitting  up  things  with  Hanover,  and  trying 
to  make  dispute  with  him,  was  the  brown  colt 
Kingston,  afterward  to  come  into  fame  as  a 
game,  consistent  horse,  good  to  run  any  distance 
from  a  sprint  up  to  a  staying  race.  And  also  in 
this  season  we  saw  the  bow  of  a  beautiful  bay 
filly  by  imported  Glenelg  out  of  Florida,  who  was 
racing  in  the  colors  of  James  B.  Haggin,  the  Cali- 
fornian.  She  was  named  Firenzi,  and  for  the  next 
four  years  she  made  filly  history  that  is  still  re- 
membered with  fondness  by  the  thousands  who 
loved  her  for  her  deeds.  As  years  came  to  her 
she  was  the  successor  to  Miss  Woodford  as  the 
best  mare  upon  the  turf. 

It  was  also  the  time  of  Dew  Drop,  a  mare  who 
could  run  fast  enough  to  make  you  dizzy  at 
watching  her. 

The  Coney  Island  Cup  that  year  promised  a 
great  race  because  it  was  expected  that  Trouba- 
dour, the  winner  of  the   Suburban,  would  meet 


41 8  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Miss  Woodford,  the  winner  of  the  EcHpse.  At 
the  last  moment,  Troubadour  was  withdrawn,  and 
Barnum,  the  old  Bonnie  Scotland  gelding,  was 
added.  Eole,  the  ancient  favorite,  was  the  third 
starter.  In  all  the  running  of  the  Cup  there  had 
been  no  such  contest  as  this.  There  was  ten  to 
one  on  Miss  Woodford,  and  ten  to  one  was  laid 
against  Barnum,  with  fifteen  against  Eole.  Eole 
never  counted  in  the  race  at  all.  Barnum,  the  old 
reliable,  went  out  and  made  the  pace,  and  made 
it  so  good  that  when  Miss  Woodford  tried  to 
move  up  to  him  she  found  the  utmost  difficulty 
in  closing  the  gap;  and  in  a  wonderful  finish,  with 
both  horses  showing  remarkable  gameness,  they 
flashed  across  the  wire  head  and  head,  and  the 
judges  announced  it  a  dead  heat.  The  track  was 
very  heavy,  and  yet  they  ran  the  mile  and  three- 
quarters  to  which  the  cup  distance  had  been  cut 
in  3.07J.  The  owner  of  Barnum  wanted  to  run 
the  stake  off,  but  the  Dwyer  Brothers  were 
unwilling  to  send  Miss  Woodford  for  another 
such  gruelling,  and  they  yielded  the  stake  to  old 
Barnum. 

All  in  all,  it  was  a  year  of  brilliant  racing  in 
both  the  East  and  the  West,  and  not  for  many 
seasons  had  so  many  good  horses    come  to  the 


In  Hanover's  Time  419 

front.  Miss  Woodford  was  the  acknowledged 
champion  of  all  the  mares  of  that  time.  Tre- 
mont  stood  just  as  high  above  all  the  two-year- 
olds.  Among  the  horses  there  was  no  dominant 
character,  but  there  were  not  less  than  a  dozen 
racing  in  the  East  and  in  the  West  that  might 
have  been  called  horses  of  exceeding  high  class. 

In  1887  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club  came  into 
existence,  and  gave  its  initial  meeting  on  that 
same  Prospect  Park  track  on  which  the  Coney 
Island  Jockey  Club  had  given  its  first  racing. 
That  meeting  witnessed  the  first  running  of  the 
Brooklyn  Handicap,  and  furnished  the  finish  in 
which  Hidalgo  was  mixed  up.  It  was  a  rattling 
good  field  which  went  to  the  post  in  that  first 
Brooklyn.  The  track  was  fast.  The  race,  from 
start  to  finish,  was  one  of  the  exciting  kind  where 
the  field  was  closely  packed  all  the  way.  At  the 
seven-furlong  pole  Dry  Monopole  and  Blue  Wing 
were  running  head  and  head,  with  Hidalgo  a 
length  back.  The  excitement  at  this  point  was 
most  intense  and  the  shouting  deafening.  Ham- 
ilton made  his  move  on  Hidalgo.  Under  Garri- 
son's strong  riding,  Blue  Wing  gained  a  little. 
McCarty  went  to  work  on  Dry  Monopole.  Dry 
Monopole  hung  on  and  Hidalgo  was  gaining  at 


420  The  American  Thoroughbred 

every  jump.  The  three  swept  past  the  judges  with 
Dry  Monopole  a  short  head  in  front  of  Blue  Wing, 
and  Blue  Wing  a  short  head  in  front  of  Hidalgo. 
No  such  finish  as  that  has  been  seen  in  any  sub- 
sequent running  of  the  Brooklyn,  and  a  picture 
of  it  has  ever  since  been  used  on  the  posters  of 
the  Jockey  Club.  The  mile  and  a  quarter  was 
run  in  2.07,  which  in  those  days  was  remarkably 
fast  time. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club 
was  so  successful  that  it  determined  the  Dwyer 
Brothers,  its  promoters,  to  build  the  race-course 
upon  which  the  Brooklyn  is  now  annually  run. 

That  was  the  season  when  we  began  to  see  the 
class  of  Hanover.  There  were  many  good  horses 
racing,  many  performances  of  splendid  class  done 
throughout  the  year,  but  the  great  one  to  show 
the  way  to  all  of  them  was  Hanover,  then  in  his 
three-year-old  form.  His  story  has  already  been 
told. 

By  this  period  in  the  history  of  the  turf,  the 
Suburban  had  become  the  one  event  which  was 
looked  forward  to  by  turfmen  all  over  the  coun- 
try, and  the  best  horses  of  the  time  were  entered 
for  it.  The  Bard  was  coming  into  his  own  this 
season,  and  the  son  of    Longfellow    showed    his 


In  Hanover's  Thne  421 

breeding  by  winning  a  series  of  brilliant  races  at 
distances  from  a  mile  and  a  furlong  upward. 
He  beat  pretty  well  everything  racing  that  year 
with  the  exception  of  Hanover.  Hanover  being 
a  three-year-old  and  The  Bard  a  four-year-old 
prevented  their  coming  together  in  many  of  the 
big  stakes.  Had  they  done  so,  The  Bard  had 
friends  who  believed  that  he  was  the  superior 
horse  to  Hanover.  It  would  be  very  hard,  how- 
ever, to  persuade  the  Hanoverians  that  this  could 
be  true. 

This  was  Eurus's  year  for  the  Suburban.  This 
son  of  Eolus,  then  four  years  old,  carried  the  light 
weight  of  one  hundred  pounds,  and  won  by  six 
lengths  in  a  gallop,  with  the  California  colt  Ori- 
flamme  second.  Ben  Ali  and  Quito,  two  of  the 
possibilities  in  the  race,  were  left  at  the  post. 
Hidalgo,  weighted  out  of  it,  cut  no  figure  in  the 
race. 

That  was  also  the  season  of  the  sensational 
winning  of  the  American  Derby  by  C.  H.  Todd, 
another  Californian,  that  had  come  East  and  been 
slipped  into  the  race  and  had  all  sorts  of  odds 
offered  against  him.  He  ran  a  wonderfully  fast 
mile  and  a  half  on  that  June  afternoon  in  Chi- 
cago, and  won  by  a  head   from  Miss  Ford,  the 


422  The  American  Thoroughbred 

California  filly  in  "Lucky"  Baldwin's  stable  who 
came  afterward  to  be  almost  as  clever  a  per- 
former as  Miss  Woodford  had  been. 

Also  Mr.  Baldwin  brought  to  us  that  year  Los 
Angeles,  one  that  made  herself  felt  upon  the  turf 
for  several  seasons  to  come. 

At  the  end  of  the  year,  turfmen  of  different 
sections  were  most  earnest  in  their  protestations 
that  the  horse  from  their  end  of  the  country  had 
been  the  best  horse.  And  think  of  what  good 
ones  there  were !  Firenzi  had  come  into  her 
three-year-old  form  and  had  won  eight  smashing 
races,  most  of  them  stakes,  and  had  given  us  an 
idea  of  what  she  was  going  to  be.  The  Bard 
was  in  the  height  of  his  glory  and  was  almost  an 
unbeatable  horse.  Opposed  to  him  was  Trouba- 
dour; and  the  only  times  when  The  Bard  was 
beaten  that  year  Troubadour  was  the  horse  to 
finish  in  front  of  him,  once  in  the  Ocean  Stakes 
at  Monmouth  Park,  and  then  again  in  the  Mon- 
mouth Cup.  Hanover  was  proving  himself  the 
wonder  that  he  was  by  winning  such  a  succession 
of  races  that  he  was  considered  almost  an  unbeat- 
able horse  among  the  three-year-olds.  Kingston 
was  stacking  up  against  Hanover  and  having  his 
heart  broken  trying  to  finish  in  front  of  the  son 


In  Hanover's  Time  423 

of  Hindoo.  It  was  brilliant  racing  in  that  year  of 
1887,  and  it  was  full  of  brilliant  horses. 

In  1888  we  had  come  among  us  a  bay  horse 
from  out  of  the  very  distant  West  which  was 
very  near  being  the  ideal  of  the  American  thor- 
oughbred. He  was  called  Emperor  of  Norfolk. 
He  was  by  that  Norfolk,  son  of  Lexington,  who 
was  taken  to  California  to  beat  Lodi,  and  did  it. 
He  was  out  of  Marian  by  Malcolm,  son  of  Bonnie 
Scotland,  and  the  Emperor  was  the  first  one  to 
show  in  this  part  of  the  world  of  that  magnificent 
family  of  race-horses  which  Marian  gave  to  the 
turf  world.  The  Emperor  was  a  good  two-year- 
old,  but  not  a  horse  of  commanding  presence. 
When  he  returned  to  us,  however,  as  a  three-year- 
old  he  brought  might  with  him,  and  at  the  end 
of  that  year  Isaac  Murphy,  then  the  premier 
jockey,  said  of  him  that  he  was  the  best  horse 
over  which  he  had  ever  thrown  a  leg. 

Emperor  of  Norfolk  started  off  by  winning  the 
Lawyers'  Stakes  at  Nashville.  Then  he  went  up 
to  the  Washington  Park  meeting  at  Chicago,  won 
the  American  Derby,  took  the  Sheridan  after- 
ward, with  a  penalty  on  him,  and  won  the  Drexel. 
Coming  across  to  Eastern  trials,  he  won  the 
Bronx  and  Spuyten  Tuyvel  at  Jerome  Park,  and 


424  The  American  Tboroiigbhred 

captured  the  Swift  Stakes  at  Coney  Island. 
*'  Lucky"  Baldwin,  in  whose  ownership  he  ran, 
had  started  and  won  with  many  great  horses,  but 
this  fellow  by  Norfolk  was  perhaps  the  best  he 
ever  owned  and  possibly  the  best  horse  of  his  day. 

In  his  three-year-old  year  there  was  also  com- 
ing to  us  Raceland,  that  wire  and  whalebone 
campaigner  who  afterward  got  to  be  known  as 
"  Old  Bones  "  Raceland.  Winning  in  that  year, 
which  was  also  his  three-year-old  year,  the  Em- 
porium and  the  Spindrift  at  Coney  Island,  the 
Barnegat  and  Raritan  at  Monmouth,  and  the 
Grand  National  Handicap  and  the  Melrose 
Handicap  at  Jerome  Park,  Raceland  gave  us  a 
sign  of  what  we  might  expect  from  him. 

The  two  busiest  racing  animals  of  that  season 
were  mares.  Los  Angeles  had  returned  from 
California  in  "  Lucky "  Baldwin's  colors.  She 
had  won  the  Vestal  and  Triboulet  Stakes  at  San 
Francisco.  Then  she  went  to  Cincinnati  and 
captured  the  Latonia  Derby.  On  the  way  from 
San  Francisco  to  Cincinnati  she  stopped  off  and 
made  a  winning  incident  of  the  Kansas  City 
Oaks.»  Also  she  took  the  South  Park  Stakes  at 
Denver  as  a  mere  rest  on  the  journey.  During 
her  Eastern  season  she  won  the  Foxhall  and  the 


In  Hanover's  Time  425 

Kennar  at  Saratoga,  the  Jersey  Handicap,  the 
Pocahontas,  and  the  Monmouth  Oaks  at  Mon- 
mouth, and  a  sweepstakes  at  Brooklyn. 

Firenzi,  her  distinguished  rival  and  a  far  better 
mare,  was  given  a  heavy  season  of  it  herself ;  and 
no  mare  since  the  time  of  Thora  had  performed 
so  creditably,  in  that  she  was  sent  to  the  post  a 
great  number  of  times  and  was  almost  always 
returned  either  a  winner  or  a  place  horse.  It  was 
Firenzi's  fate  to  meet  the  very  best  in  training, 
and  one  is  pleased  to  say  of  her  that  the  game 
little  daughter  of  Glenelg  beat  everything  that 
faced  her.  If  she  did  not  do  it  the  first  time,  she 
did  it  the  second ;  and  the  one  race  in  which  The 
Bard,  then  in  the  height  of  his  glory,  found  his 
striking  defeat,  was  that  in  which  he  fronted 
the  bay  mare  and  had  his  heart  broken  by 
this  game  little  thing  bred  in  Kentucky  and 
owned  in  California.  In  that  year  Firenzi  won 
the  Monmouth  Cup  and  the  Monmouth  Handi- 
cap, the  Champion  Stakes,  the  Freehold,  and  the 
Harvest  Handicap,  all  at  Monmouth ;  the  Man- 
hattan Handicap  and  the  Firenze  Handicap  as 
well  as  the  Battle  Stakes  at  Jerome  Park;  and 
the  Average  Stakes  and  the  Great  Long  Island 
Stakes  at  Coney  Island. 


426  The  American  Thoroughbred 

She  was  stable  companion  to  Salvator.  He  was 
then  a  two-year-old.  Beaten  in  the  Futurity  by 
Proctor  Knott,  he  came  back  in  the  Flatbush 
Stakes,  which  is  a  much  more  severe  trial,  and 
won  it.  Also  he  put  to  his  credit  the  Maple 
Stakes  at  Brooklyn  and  the  Titan  and  Tuckahoe 
at  Jerome  Park.  This  was  the  slashing  big 
chestnut  colt  by  imported  Prince  Charlie  out 
of  Salina  by  Lexington,  who  came  afterward  to 
give  us  some  stirring  stories  to  tell. 

This  year  of  1888  marked  his  first  appearance 
upon  the  turf,  where  he  was  second  to  Proctor 
Knott  in  the  first  Futurity  to  be  run.  Diablo 
was  also  making  his  debut.  He  was  then  a  two- 
year-old.  He  picked  up  during  the  course  of  his 
running  the  Great  Eastern  Handicap  and  the 
June  Stakes  at  Coney  Island,  the  Holly  Handi- 
cap at  Brooklyn,  and  the  Pelham  Stakes  at  Jerome 
Park.  It  was  also  Proctor  Knott's  best  season. 
He  was  the  chestnut  Tennesseean  by  imported 
Great  Tom  who  had  come  up  to  New  York  under 
Sam  Bryant's  guidance  to  win  the  Junior  Cham- 
pion and  the  Futurity,  and  he  did  win  both  of 
them.  Also  he  picked  up  the  West  Side  Stakes  at 
Nashville  before  starting,  and  the  Kenwood  Stakes 
at  Washington  Park  before  loading  for  the  East. 


In  Hanover's  Time  427 

So  also  in  that  season  appeared  that  colt 
which  was  called  the  "little  sway-backed  runt," 
racing  under  the  name  of  Tenny.  He  was  about 
as  bad  a  two-year-old  as  was  out  during  the  year. 
He  started  something  like  seventeen  times,  and 
at  the  very  fag  end  of  the  season  managed  to  win 
two  poor  races.  One  could  not  imagine  then 
that  this  despised  fellow  had  within  him  capa- 
bilities which  would  make  him,  two  seasons  later, 
the  only  horse  upon  the  turf  which  could  rival 
Salvator  and  race  him  to  a  head  in  the  hardest 
contest  which  Salvator  ever  saw. 

That,  too,  was  the  time  when  French  Park 
came  to  us,  a  very  whirlwind  of  speed  of  the  type 
of  Tremont.  French  Park  was  a  busy  one  him- 
self, and  during  the  course  of  his  running  he  won 
the  Dixiana  Stakes  at  Lexington,  made  a  dead 
heat  in  the  Juvenile  at  Jerome  Park  with  Fides, 
won  the  Sequence  Stakes  and  the  Encore  at 
Jerome,  and  finished  first  in  the  May  and  the 
Bedford  Stakes  at  Brooklyn.  He  had  but  one 
year  of  it,  but  he  made  it  a  brilliant  year. 

Kingston,  The  Bard,  and  Senorita  were  still 
making  hay.  In  the  all-age  division  The  Bard 
was  undoubtedly  king.  He  did  not  win  so  many 
races,  but  they  were  rare  contests  in  which   he 


428  The  American  Thoroughbred 

engaged  and  there  was  much  acclaim  for  him. 
He  won  the  Brooklyn  Cup,  which  was  no  mean 
accomplishment,  the  Brooklyn  Handicap,  which 
was  a  better  one,  the  Coney  Island  Cup,  the 
Coney  Island  Stakes,  the  Ocean  Stakes  at  Mon- 
mouth, and  then  the  St.  James  Hotel  Stakes  at 
Brooklyn.  When  he  went  into  winter  quarters 
that  season  he  was  pronounced  the  horse  of  1888. 
The  budding  champion  was  there  in  Salvator. 

To  follow  through  their  careers  Kingston, 
Hanover,  Los  Angeles,  Senorita,  Longstreet, 
Inspector  B.,  Banquet,  Firenzi,  Chaos,  Raceland, 
Tournament,  and  all  those  horses  who  were  mak- 
ing passing  fame  in  those  seasons,  would  require 
detail  which  might  prove  tiresome.  It  is  sufficient 
here  to  say  that  racing  had  grown  in  America  to 
be  such  an  enormous  institution,  with  such  an 
enormous  amount  of  money  invested  in  it,  that 
each  year  was  a  volume  by  itself,  and  each  season 
produced,  not  one,  but  a  dozen  horses,  each  of 
whom  had  legitimate  claims  to  be  called  a  great 
animal.  While  in  the  old  days  the  horse  of  great 
achievement  was  a  rare  thing  and  belonged  to  a 
section,  the  production  of  the  American  horse 
had  come  to  that  stage  where  almost  every  state 
in  the  Union,  bar  the  New  England  country,  made 
some  sort  of  bid. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

WHEN    SALVATOR    BEAT    TENNY 

The  coming  together  of  Salvator  and  Tenny 
in  their  memorable  match  was  the  last  race  out- 
side the  fixed  events,  such  as  the  American  Derby, 
the  Brooklyn  and  Suburban  handicaps,  and  the 
Futurity,  which  brought  to  it  general  attention. 
Salvator,  coming  to  his  four-year-old  form  in  1890, 
had  proved  himself  a  horse  of  remarkable  speed 
as  well  as  stamina.  Tenny  is  yet  held  by  many 
persons  to  have  been  as  good  if  not  a  better 
horse,  and  yet  it  was  the  racing  fate  of  Tenny  to 
have  his  heart  broken  by  Salvator.  After  Salva- 
tor had  taken  the  Suburban  in  1890,  a  challenge 
came  from  the  Tenny  party  to  run  him  a  match. 
Mr.  James  B.  Haggin,  who  owned  Salvator, 
accepted  the  match.  The  wager  was  $5000  a 
side  and  the  contest  was  run  over  the  Coney 
Island  Jockey  Club  track.  Following  is  the 
story  of  the  race,  written  at  the  time :  — 

"  The  crowd  which  braves  the  withering  heat 
429 


430  The  American  Tborotigbhred 

comes  early.  At  twelve  o'clock  every  seat  in  the 
grand  stand  is  taken.  It  is  a  crowd  of  notables 
of  every  profession. 

"  And  now  a  cheer  goes  up  as  the  paddock  gate 
is  thrown  open  and  the  mighty  Salvator,  with 
Isaac  Murphy  sitting  sphinxlike  in  the  saddle, 
steps  proudly  out.  He  passes  the  applauding 
multitude  with  the  air  of  a  prince  who  is  receiv- 
ing only  what  rightfully  belongs  to  him.  In  a 
few  moments  Tenny  comes  galloping  down  the 
track,  and  another  cheer  goes  up  for  the  grand 
little  son  of  Rayon  d'Or. 

"  For  a  moment  they  stand  together  at  the 
post,  side  by  side,  motionless.  And  now  the 
starter  has  sent  the  red  flag  down  and  a  roar 
goes  up  from  the  thousands  in  the  grand  stand, 
'  They're  off ! ' 

"  Tenny  is  the  first  to  spring  away.  He  is 
close  to  the  inner  rail  and  he  shoots  out  like  an 
arrow,  a  good  half-length  before  Salvator.  In  a 
moment  Murphy  has  Prince  Charlie's  greatest 
son  well  in  hand.  His  hand  has  tightened  on  the 
bridle  rein ;  he  is  at  Tenny 's  head,  and  the  race 
has  begun. 

"  They  are  half-way  down  the  first  furlong  now, 
with  their  heads  together,  the  two  jockeys  so  close 


When  Salvator  beat  Tenny  431 

together  that  they  could  join  hands.  Past  the 
judges  they  go,  head  to  head,  neck  to  neck,  not  a 
hand's  breadth  separating  them. 

"  Now  Murphy  begins  to  slip  away  from  Garri- 
son. He  seems  to  be  doing  no  riding,  but  his 
knees  are  pressed  against  Salvator's  sides  and  he 
is  urging  the  great  horse  to  go  out  and  make 
pace.  As  Salvator  creeps  ahead  inch  by  inch, 
and  the  pace  quickens  by  every  stride,  the  hearts 
of  the  Tenny  men  sink  in  their  breasts  for  they 
fear  their  little  horse  will  grow  weary  of  it  and 
sulk. 

"  They  are  rounding  the  turn  now  and  the  first 
quarter  is  passed.  Salvator's  head  is  just  before 
Tenny's,  and  now  the  hearts  of  the  Tenny  men 
are  as  lead  in  their  bosoms,  for  the  head  is  growing 
into  a  long,  clean,  muscular  neck,  and  the  neck  is 
lengthening  inch  by  inch  into  a  lithe,  straining, 
chestnut  body.  And  now  the  body  is  entirely 
clear,  and  a  glint  of  daylight  shines  between  the 
leader  and  the  pursuer.  The  little  speck  of  day- 
light broadens  out  into  half  a  length.  Now  the 
Salvator  men  sneer  at  little  Tenny  and  speak  of 
'  distancing,'  and  '  beatings,'  and  '  by  ten  lengths,' 
and  '  no  race  at  all.' 

"  They    are    at    the    third-furlong    pole     and 


432  The  American  Tbowiigbhred 

Salvator  passes  It  first  with  half  a  length  of  day- 
light to  spare.  Garrison  is  sitting  high  on  Tenny 
and  the  little  horse  is  running  strong  and  free. 
And  now  the  pace  has  become  terrific.  The  two 
horses  are  skimming  over  the  ground  on  the  far- 
away back-stretch  so  fast  that  the  whispering  wind 
stealing  away  to  the  ocean  is  outsped,  so  fast  that 
the  scores  of  men  who  are  holding  watches 
look  again  to  see  if  there  is  no  mistake.  All  the 
awkwardness  of  that  uncouth  hack  has  passed 
away  from  Tenny,  and  he  sweeps  along  behind 
the  leader  as  gracefully  as  a  young  fawn.  And 
Salvator,  never  flagging,  fleet  of  foot,  maintains 
his  lead.  Past  the  half  and  the  five-eighths  he  is 
still  in  front,  Tenny  stubbornly  fighting  the  bitter 
fight  of  the  beaten  horse  behind  him,  and  now 
Murphy  again  digs  his  knees  into  the  gallant 
chestnut's  sides  and  the  daylight  between  the 
two  once  more  begins  to  lengthen.  At  the  third 
quarter  Salvator  is  two  lengths  to  the  good. 

"  And  now  for  the  first  time  the  killing  pace 
begins  to  tell  on  Tenny.  They  are  passing  the 
stable  where  the  little  horse  lives,  and  in  some 
mysterious  way  he  thinks  he  would  be  better 
there  than  out  in  this  brilliant  sun  fighting  the 
inevitable.     For  a  moment  he  wavers,  and  then 


lyben  S abator  beat  Tenny  433 

attempts  to  throw  up  the  race  and  be  through 
with  it.  Garrison  draws  his  whip  and  gives  his 
stubborn  mount  a  stinging  blow.  In  a  moment 
Tenny  has  forgotten  his  stable,  forgotten  that  he 
wants  to  stop,  and  is  once  more  struggling  after 
the  leader.  That  was  a  most  disastrous  stop, 
little  Tenny,  but  bravely  do  you  seek  to  right  the 
wrong ! 

"  The  first  mile  is  now  covered.  Salvator  is 
fhree  good  lengths  in  front.  The  race  seems  a 
gift  to  the  leader,  for  surely  no  horse  can  make 
up  such  a  gap  with  Salvator  before  him.  And 
now  there  begins  one  of  the  most  extraordi- 
nary races  ever  seen  on  the  turf — Tenny's  fight 
down  that  last  quarter.  He  begins  it  at  the  mile. 
Foot  by  foot  he  is  lessening  the  terrible,  hopeless 
chasm  that  yawns  before  him.  You  can  almost 
see  the  muscles  straining;  you  can  almost  feel 
the  quick  gasps  through  those  red  nostrils.  It  is 
a  long  line  of  princely  blood  that  is  telling,  the 
blood  of  the  thoroughbred,  which  always  tells  in 
man  or  brute,  and  which  is  never  so  great  as 
when  there  is  a  hopeless  fight  to  be  fought. 

"  They  have  reached  the  point  from  which 
they  started,  now,  and  Murphy  is  only  a  length 
and    a    half    ahead,  Tenny  gaining   with    every 


434  The  American  Thoroughbred 

stride.  It  is  the  Tenny  men  who  are  cheering 
now,  and  Salvator's  backers  wear  an  anxious  look. 
Can  Tenny  catch  him  in  the  next  furlong? 
Everybody  is  asking  the  question. 

"  Murphy  glances  over  his  shoulder  and  sees 
Garrison  just  behind  him.  In  a  moment  he 
draws  his  whip,  and  at  the  first  blow  Salvator 
gallantly  responds.  It  is  well  for  him  that  he 
does.  Tenny's  head  is  at  his  quarters  now. 
Garrison  is  riding  the  finish  of  his  life.  With  his 
body  high  up  on  his  horse's  neck,  with  his  arms 
and  his  feet  and  body,  with  every  muscle,  in 
movement,  the  great  jockey  is  urging,  lifting,  his 
horse  along.  And  now  Tenny  is  at  Salvator's 
saddle-skirts,  and  now  he  is  at  his  shoulders ! 

"  They  have  reached  the  first  of  the  cheering 
wall  of  faces  that  line  the  track,  and  both  jockeys 
respond  to  the  calls  of  the  factions  by  riding  all 
the  harder.  Murphy  is  now  fighting  with  his 
hands  and  knees,  helping  his  mount  as  only  Isaac 
Murphy  knows  how  to  help.  And  now  they  are 
at  the  grand  stand,  and  ten  thousand  excited  men 
and  women  are  yelling  like  mad.  Tenny's  head  is 
at  Salvator's  neck.  He  is  gaining  inch  by  inch. 
Is  there  yet  time  to  reach  him  ?  The  two 
jockeys  are  now  as  close  as  when  they  first  passed 


IVben  Salvator  beat  Tenny  435 

this  spot,  and  the  victory,  which  half  a  mile  back 
seemed  inevitably  Salvator's,  is  as  uncertain  now 
as  a  shred  of  gossamer  in  the  summer  wind. 
And  now  they  are  under  the  shadow  of  the 
string,  and  Murphy,  leaning  far  over,  presses  his 
knees  close  to  the  throbbing  sides  of  his  grand 
horse,  whose  noble  head  is  side  by  side  with 
Tenny's,  and  lifts  him,  almost  in  the  final  stride, 
to  a  victory  without  a  parallel.  Tenny  is  so  close 
to  him  that  a  hand  extended  could  touch  their 
heads. 

"  The  cheering  from  the  great  crowd  lasts  for 
full  five  minutes  and  breaks  out  again  when 
Captain  Conner  hangs  out  the  wonderful  time, 
2.05." 

Time:  first  quarter,  .25;  three-eighths,  .Z7i\ 
half-mile,  .49J ;  five-eighths,  1.02^;  three-quarters, 
1.14J;  seven-eighths,  1.27I;  mile,  1.39!;  one  and 
one-eighth  miles,  1.52J;  one  and  one-quarter 
miles,  2.05. 

After  the  match,  Salvator  made  one  more  dis- 
tinguished appearance  before  the  public,  when 
Mr.  Haggin  started  him  against  time  on  the 
mile  straightaway  at  Monmouth  Park.  Paced  by 
two  different  horses,  the  son  of  Prince  Charlie 
ran  down  that  noted  old  course  the  mile  which 


436  The  American  Thoroughbred 

now  stands  as  the  record  for  the  world.  He 
carried  the  same  weight  which  Ten  Broeck  car- 
ried in  his  famous  effort  against  time  when  he 
set  the  record  at  i.39f.  Salvator,  on  this  straight 
course,  ran  in  1.35I-.  Firenzi  had  already,  in  a 
race,  put  the  mile  and  a  half  record  at  2.33. 
While  both  were  perfectly  sound  and  with  their 
glories  haloing  them,  Mr.  Haggin  retired  both 
to  his  Rancho  del  Paso  in  California  for  breeding 
purposes.  It  might  be  said,  en  passant,  that  both 
have  to  this  day  been  practical  failures  in  repro- 
ducing themselves. 

Through  1891  and  1892  there  were  many  good 
horses  racing  in  America.  Sallie  McClelland, 
Eon,  His  Highness,  Strathmeath,  La  Tosca, 
Yorkville  Belle,  Chesapeake,  Potomac,  Riley,  St. 
Florian,  Prince  Royal,  Russell,  Tenny,  Reckon, 
Tammany,  Kildeer,  Marion  C,  Ambulance,  Judge 
Morrow,  Yo  Tambien,  Montana,  Racine,  Rey  del 
Rey,  Lamplighter,  English  Lady,  and  Fairy,  —  all 
were  galloping  to  glory  in  1891. 

In  1892  Morello,  a  son  of  Eolus,  won  the 
Futurity  and  started  himself  on  a  career  that 
should  have  been  more  brilliant  than  it  was. 
Also,  in  that  year,  Montana  won  the  Suburban 
and  Judge  Morrow  the  Brooklyn  Handicap.    The 


When  Salvator  beat  Tenny  437 

season  was  full  of  more  than  useful  ones.  There 
were  racing  then  Sir  Walter,  Dr.  Rice,  Lady 
Violet,  Longstreet,  Judge  Morrow,  Yo  Tambien, 
St.  Florian,  Lamplighter,  Dr.  Hasbrouck,  Race- 
land,  Yorkville  Belle,  Helen  Nichols,  Montana, 
Kingston,  Tournament,  and  Morello. 


CHAPTER    XXV 

DOMINANCE    OF    DOMINO 

It  was  in  1893  that  we  found  another  popular 
champion  in  the  colt  called  Domino,  a  son  of 
Himyar  out  of  Mannie  Gray.  A  big,  lusty  fellow, 
capable  of  carrying  any  weight,  he  so  impressed 
himself  upon  his  time  that  in  his  two-year-old 
form  there  was  only  one  colt  which  in  the  slight- 
est way  rivalled  him.  That  was  Dobbins,  a  chest- 
nut colt  by  Mr.  Pickwick  out  of  that  old  mare 
Thora  of  good  performance  in  the  past.  This 
Dobbins  seems  to  have  inherited  some  of  the 
excellence  which  was  so  marked  in  his  dam. 

Domino  was  a  brown  colt  of  great  size  and 
substance  and  with  an  enormous  turn  of  speed. 
He  had  gone  along  through  an  unbroken  series 
of  victories  and  came  to  the  Futurity.  In  that 
greatest  of  all  two-year-old  races  he  had,  on  ac- 
count of  penalties  accruing,  to  carry  130  pounds. 
Dobbins  had  also  been  a  stake  winner  himself, 
and  was  compelled  to  pack  the  same  heavy 
weight.  In  one  of  the  best  races  ever  run  for 
438 


Dominance  of  Domino  439 

the  Futurity  prize,  Domino  got  up  in  the  last 
few  strides  to  win  by  a  head  from  Galilee,  carry- 
ing 115  pounds,  while  Dobbins  was  scarce  a  head 
behind  Galilee.  It  was  much  such  a  finish  in  the 
Futurity  as  Proctor  Knott,  Salvator,  and  Galen 
furnished  in  the  first  running  of  that  productive 
event.  So  close  was  this  decision  as  between 
Domino  and  Dobbins  that  Mr.  Phil  Dwyer,  leav- 
ing the  judges'  stand  after  the  race,  offered  to 
bet  $25,000  that  Dobbins  could  beat  Domino. 
The  result  of  the  controversy  was  a  match  race 
between  the  two  two-year-olds,  each  to  carry  118 
pounds,  over  the  Futurity  course.  The  stake 
was  for  $10,000  a  side  and  the  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club  added  $2500  to  it. 

Because  Domino  had  come  to  be  a  sort  of 
public  idol  there  was  an  enormous  interest  in  the 
race  all  over  the  United  States,  and  wherever 
there  was  a  pool-room  or  a  bulletin  board  where 
the  results  might  be  announced  almost  instantly, 
there  were  clustered  great  crowds  of  people  await- 
ing the  decision  between  these  two. 

The  race  was  run  at  Sheepshead  Bay  on  the 
afternoon  of  August  31,  1893,  in  perfect  weather 
and  on  a  fast  track.  It  was  a  most  exciting  con- 
test.    The   pair   ran    head    and    head  practically 


440  The  American  Thoroughbred 

from  start  to  finish,  and  passed  the  judges  so 
close  together  that  it  was  impossible  to  separate 
them.  Mr.  Keene,  who  viewed  the  race  from 
the  stewards'  stand,  just  above  the  judges'  stand, 
thought  Domino  had  won ;  and  Mr.  Croker,  who 
sat  in  the  club-house  gallery,  was  equally  con- 
fident that  Dobbins  was  the  winner.  Admirers 
of  the  two  horses  naturally  sided  as  their  predi- 
lections inclined  them,  but  the  race  was  palpably 
so  very  close  that  no  one  cared  to  express  any 
positive  opinion.  Even  the  jockeys,  Simms  and 
Taral,  would  not  say  that  they  believed  either 
horse  had  won. 

There  was  betting  on  the  match  early  in  the  day. 
Domino  was  quoted  at  three  to  five  and  Dobbins 
at  even  money.  It  was  the  general  trend  of 
opinion  that  Domino  would  win,  and  the  constant 
stream  of  Domino  money  forced  the  Keene  colt  to 
one  to  two  when  the  race  was  called,  while  Dob- 
bins went  back  to  eight  to  five.  There  was  a  great 
deal  of  speculation  on  the  result,  and  also  on  the 
time  at  four  to  five  under  i.iif  and  even  money 
over.  Dobbins  cantered  in  front  of  the  grand  stand 
before  the  race,  but  Domino  was  not  brought  out 
on  the  track.  He  wore  his  bandages.  Both  colts 
were  the  centre  of  admiring  throngs  in  the  pad- 


Dominance  of  Domino  441 

dock.  The  race  was  called  for  5.10,  and  the  start 
was  effected  at  5.16.  There  was  one  false  break. 
Taral  moved  off  a  good  neck  in  front  of  Dob- 
bins, and  Mr.  Rowe  made  them  come  back.  At 
the  next  trial  the  pair  went  away  like  a  team. 
Domino  was  just  a  trifle  in  front  until  the  horses 
came  up  out  of  the  dip,  where  Dobbins  got  his 
head  in  front.  Taral  was  next  the  rail,  and  in 
making  the  turn  he  carried  Dobbins  out.  The 
horses  throughout  the  race  were  so  close  together 
that  on  several  occasions  they  slightly  bumped 
into  each  other. 

At  the  head  of  the  stretch  Taral  drew  his  whip 
with  his  left  hand  and  began  whipping.  Dobbins 
at  the  furlong  pole  still  had  his  head  in  front,  and 
Simms  was  riding  his  hardest  with  hands  and 
heels.  All  the  way  through  the  last  furlong  up 
to  the  last  strides  it  looked  as  though  Dobbins 
would  win.  In  the  last  half-dozen  jumps  Taral 
crept  up,  inch  by  inch,  and,  as  already  stated,  the 
colts  passed  the  judges  so  nearly  on  a  perfect  line 
that  every  one  turned  to  the  bulletin  board  in 
expectation  of  seeing  a  dead  heat  announced. 
Without  any  hesitation  the  judges  immediately 
signalled  "  dead  heat." 

The  decision  was  greeted  with  cheers  by  the 


442  The  American  Thoroughbred 

large  crowd  that  had  assembled  around  the 
judges'  stand.  After  the  race  Mr.  Keene  and 
Mr.  Croker  met  in  the  club-house.  Mr. 
Croker  expressed  a  willingness  to  run  the  dead 
heat  off.  However,  he  told  Mr.  Keene  that  he 
would  leave  the  matter  entirely  to  him.  Mr. 
Keene  consulted  with  Lakeland,  who  advised 
against  giving  the  colts  another  hard  race  ;  and 
when  Mr.  Keene  himself  expressed  this  view  to 
Mr.  Croker,  the  latter  stated  that  he  was  entirely 
willing  to  abide  by  the  dead  heat.  The  $2500 
added  by  the  association  was  divided  between 
Mr.  Keene  and  Mr.  Croker.  The  time  of  the 
race,  i.i2|-,  was  much  slower  than  was  ex- 
pected. 

Domino  made  a  sweep  of  his  two-year-old  year 
and  finally  put  himself  in  the  galaxy  with  those 
champions  of  the  American  turf  which  had  pre- 
ceded him.  He  retired  to  the  stud  after  a  rather 
disappointing  season,  and  there  bade  fair  to  be- 
come a  phenomenal  sire  when  death  overtook  him 
at  an  early  age.  Mr.  James  R.  Keene  erected  a 
handsome  monument  over  the  grave  in  Kentucky, 
that  all  who  rode  by  might  read  that  there  lay  the 
remains  of  a  race-horse.  Dobbins  lived  to  go  to 
England  with  Mr.  Croker,     Representatives  of  his 


Dominance  of  Domino  443 

blood  are  now  in  training,  and  racing  with  indif- 
ferent success  on  the  Enghsh  turf. 

Henry  of  Navarre  was  with  us  in  that  time, 
and  a  good  race-horse  he  was.  So  was  Charade. 
Diablo  lived  to  win  the  Brooklyn  Handicap. 
Geraldine,  the  whirlwind  from  California,  was 
still  doing  such  sprinting  as  the  Easterners  had 
never  seen.     But   Domino  was  the  horse  of  1893, 

Henry  of  Navarre,  Yo  Tambien,  Rey  el  Santa 
Anita,  Dobbins,  Dr.  Rice  (the  Brooklyn  Handi- 
cap winner),  Hornpipe,  Harry  Reed,  Lazzarone, 
Sir  Walter,  Don  Alonzo,  Clifford,  Rampo  (the 
winner  of  the  Suburban),  Correction,  Butterflies 
(winner  of  the  Futurity),  and  Lissak  were  the  good 
performers  of  the  season  of  1894,  without  any 
horse  being  particularly  conspicuous  for  over- 
powering merit.  Henry  of  Navarre  was  perhaps 
the  best  animal  racing  that  season,  although  his 
right  to  be  called  a  high-class  horse  has  been 
questioned  by  turfmen  of  experience  who  know 
a  good  race-horse  when  they  see  him. 

Hornpipe  (winner  of  the  Brooklyn),  Ben  Brush, 
Clifford,  Domino,  Handspring,  Bright  Phoebus 
Halma,  Ramapo,  Henry  of  Navarre,  Sir  Walter, 
Requital,  Lazzarone  (winner  of  the  Suburban), 
St.  Maxim,  One   I  Love,  Counter    Tenor,   First 


444  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

Mate,  and  Rey  el  Santa  Anita  were  the  conspicu- 
ous performers  of  the  season  of  1895,  and  the 
same  condition  existed  as  in  1894.  The  horses 
beat  each  other  with  a  striking  regularity  which 
clearly  demonstrated  that  there  was  not  one 
among  them  to  be  called  a  champion. 

Hastings,  St.  Maxim,  Handspring,  Ben  Brush, 
The  Commoner,  Cleophus,  Don  de  Oro,  Orna- 
ment, The  Friar,  Harry  Reed,  Ben  Holladay, 
Voter,  Ogden  (winner  of  the  Futurity),  First 
Mate,  Belmar,  Sir  Walter,  Requital  (winner  of 
the  Realization),  and  Henry  of  Navarre  (the  win- 
ner of  the  Suburban),  were  the  best  performers  to 
show  on  the  American  turf  in  1896.  There  was 
the  genesis  of  several  very  high-class  animals 
among  the  two-year-olds  which  came  out  that 
year,  notably  in  Ben  Holladay.  But  still,  another 
great  dominant  one  had  not  appeared. 

Scottish  Chieftain,  Octagon,  Howard  Mann 
(winner  of  the  Brooklyn),  Don  de  Oro,  Plaudit, 
Ornament,  Handball,  L'Alouette,  Henry  of  Na- 
varre, Previous,  Hamburg,  Cleophus,  Firearm, 
Frohman,  Voter  (the  great  sprinter).  The  Friar, 
Tillo,  Ben  Brush,  Sir  Walter,  Rensselaer,  and 
Bowling  Brook,  were  the  conspicuous  per- 
formers   of     1897.      Voter    had    just    begun    to 


Dominance  of  Domino  445 

show  that  remarkable  sprinting  ability  which 
made  him  the  best  miler  in  after  days  that  we 
have  had  in  America  for  many,  many  years.  His 
performances  at  the  shorter  distances  were  per- 
haps as  good  as  have  ever  been  run  in  any 
country. 

This  was  Hamburg's  year.  Hamburg's  place 
as  a  racing  animal  is  among  the  real  cracks  of 
the  turf.  He  was  during  his  racing  days  a  com- 
manding individual,  who  always  enlisted  the 
admiration  of  the  crowd  when  he  paraded  for  a 
race,  on  account  of  his  exceedingly  fine  appear- 
ance. 

Hamburg  by  Hanover  had  for  dam  that  noted 
mare.  Lady  Reel  by  Fellowcraft,  and  he  was  quite 
as  good  an  one  as  ever  came  out  of  that  brood- 
mare family,  which  traced  back  to  the  famous  im- 
ported Galopade,  the  founder  of  another  great 
brood-mare  line  in  America,  which  is  frequently 
spoken  of  as  the  Dance  family. 

Hamburg  did  everything  that  could  be  asked 
of  a  first-class  race-horse.  He  showed  speed, 
stamina,  courage,  and  weight-carrying  ability  of 
the  highest  order.  No  distance  was  too  long  or 
too  short  for  him,  and,  moreover,  his  soundness 
of  wind  and  limb,  together  with  his  robust  con- 


446  The  American  Thoroughbred 

stitution,  perfect  disposition,  and  excellent  blood 
lines,  are  combinations  which  should,  without  a 
doubt,  bring  about  great  results  at  the  stud.  The 
consistency  of  his  performances  stands  out  promi- 
nent from  the  fact  that  he  never  was  unplaced 
during  his  racing  career. 

Hamburg  started  twenty-one  times,  won  sixteen 
races,  was  second  in  three,  and  third  in  two.  His 
total  winnings  amounted  to  $62,378.  As  a  two- 
year-old  he  started  sixteen  times,  won  twelve 
races,  was  second  in  three,  and  third  in  one. 
With  104  pounds  up  he  made  his  debut  at 
Brooklyn  in  a  five-eighths  mile  race,  which  he 
won  easily  by  a  length,  beating  Previous,  115 
pounds,  Sanders,  104,  Prince  Lee,  104,  and 
four  others  ;  track  sloppy;  time,  1.03J.  Six  days 
afterward,  carrying  122  pounds,  he  won  another 
five-eighths  mile  race  easily  by  two  lengths,  beat- 
ing Previous,  122  pounds.  Sly  Fox,  122,  Honey- 
dew,  107,  and  three  others;  time,  1.02J. 

At  Sheepshead  Bay,  Hamburg,  122  pounds, 
ran  third  to  Bowling  Brook,  122,  and  Laudeman, 
117,  in  the  Double  Event  Stakes  (first  part),  last 
five  and  a  half  furlongs  of  the  Futurity  Course  — 
a  nose  and  two  lengths  separating  the  first,  sec- 
ond, and  third ;  the  beaten  division   comprising 


Dominance  of  Domino  447 

Prince  Lee,  122  pounds,  Varus,  122,  Briar  Sweet, 
114,  Mr.  Baiter,  117,  and  Swango,  122;  time, 
1.09! 

These  few  races  seem  to  have  sharpened  Ham- 
burg up  considerably,  for  on  his  next  appearance 
in  pubUc,  in  the  Great  Trial  Stakes,  over  the 
Futurity  Course,  he  carried  122  pounds,  jumped 
off  in  front,  made  all  the  running,  and  won  in  a 
canter  by  four  lengths,  beating  Previous,  129 
pounds,  George  Keene,  122,  Bowling  Brook,  122, 
Firearm,  129,  The  Huguenot,  115,  Kitefoot,  119, 
Handball,  120,  Laudeman,  119,  and  two  others; 
time,  1. 1 2 J. 

It  was  now  Hamburg's  turn  to  carry  7  pounds 
penalty.  With  129  pounds,  after  making  his 
own  running  all  the  way,  he  cantered  in  by  two 
lengths  for  the  Double  Event  Stakes  (special 
part),  Futurity  Course,  beating  imported  Uriel, 
122  pounds.  Bowling  Brook,  129,  Previous,  129, 
Firearm,  120,  Sanders,  114,  Varus,  129,  and  three 
others;  time,  i.nj-. 

At  Saratoga,  carrying  129  pounds,  he  won  the 
Flash  Stakes,  one-half  mile,  by  one  and  a  half 
lengths,  beating  Handball,  120  pounds.  Briar 
Sweet,  119,  and  Loiterer,  122;  time,  50  seconds. 
A  week  afterward,  with  134  pounds,  he  won  the 


448  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Congress  Hall  Stakes,  five-eighths  mile,  handily, 
by  a  length,  beating  Archduke,  119  pounds, 
Harvey,  119,  Aratoma,  107,  Laudeman,  102,  and 
two  others;  time,  i.oi^.  His  next  and  last  race 
at  Saratoga,  in  the  Grand  Union  Hotel  Stakes, 
three-quarters  mile,  was  one  of  the  many  evi- 
dences of  the  glorious  uncertainty  of  racing. 
Archduke,  117  pounds,  Hamburg,  129,  and 
Harvey,  1 1 7,  made  up  the  field,  and  they  fin- 
ished in  the  order  named.  Archduke  doing  the 
son  of  Hanover  by  a  head,  with  Harvey  fifteen 
lengths  in  the  rear;  time,  1.15. 
X  At  Brighton  Beach,  Hamburg,  127  pounds, 
won  the  Rising  Generation  Stakes,  three-quarters 
mile,  by  three  lengths,  beating  Central  Trust, 
122  pounds.  Bowling  .Brook,  125,  Blarneystone, 
122,  Julius  Caesar,  iii,  and  Blissful,  107;  time, 
I.I 5.  Four  days  afterward,  with  132  pounds,  he 
won  the  Electric  Handicap,  three-quarters  mile, 
by  a  half-length,  beating  Handball,  120  pounds, 
Frohman,  118,  First  Fruit,  S^,  and  Don't  Care, 
105. 

At  Sheepshead  Bay,  in  the  fall,  Hamburg 
began  by  essaying  the  difficult  task  of  trying  to 
give,  according  to  the  weigh t-for-age  scale,  10 
pounds  to  Requital  (winner  of  the  Futurity,  Real- 


Dominance  of  Domino  449 

ization,  etc.),  Flying  Dutchman  (a  really  good 
race-horse),  and  Irish  Reel  (a  very  speedy  animal 
and  frequent  winner),  in  the  Flight  Stakes,  seven- 
eighths  mile.  He  made  a  gallant  bid  for  victory, 
but  was  defeated  two  lengths  by  Requital  in 
i.26|-.  Flying  Dutchman  finished  third,  ten 
lengths  away,  and  Irish  Reel  had  a  distant  view 
of  the  race. 

Three  days  afterward  Hamburg,  120  pounds, 
ran  second,  beaten  a  head,  to  Previous,  115 
pounds,  in  the  Flatbush  Stakes,  seven-eighths 
mile,  beating  Firearm,  115,  Handball,  115,  The 
Huguenot,  120,  Kitefoot,  115,  and  three  others; 
time,  I.28J-;  and  two  days  later,  with  129  pounds, 
he  won  the  Autumn  Stakes,  Futurity  Course, 
easily,  by  two  lengths,  beating  Archduke,  122 
pounds,  The  Huguenot,  122,  Firearm,  129, 
Lydian,   109,  Gibraltar,   112;  time,   i.ii. 

His  previous  races  had  shown  that  Hamburg 
was  the  best  two-year-old  in  training,  and  his 
next  victory,  in  the  Great  Eastern  Handicap^ 
over  the  Futurity  Course,  proved  that  he  was  the 
best  by  a  large  margin.  He  shouldered  135 
pounds,  making  the  running  throughout,  and 
won,  with  something  up  his  sleeve,  by  a  length, 
in    i.ioj,    beating    Kifefoot,    iii    pounds.    Briar 


450  The  American  Thoroughbred 

Sweet,  109,  Firearm,  120,  Archduke,  124,  Hand- 
ball, 117,  L'Alouette  (whose  next  race  it  was  after 
winning  the  Futurity),  120,  Bowling  Brook,  115, 
Blueaway,  115,  George  Keene,  iii,  and  four 
others. 

At  Brooklyn,  Hamburg,  127  pounds,  won  the 
Prospect  Stakes,  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  by  two 
lengths,  beating  Handball,  122  pounds.  Archduke, 
115,  Previous,  122,  Bowling  Brook,  122,  Blueaway, 
115;  and  two  days  afterward  wound  up  his  two- 
year-old  career  by  beating  Handball,  Easter  Gift, 
and  Previous,  at  even  weights,  easily,  by  one  and 
a  half  lengths,  earning  ^39,950  during  the  season. 

Hamburg  began  his  three-year-old  career  in- 
auspiciously  with  a  defeat,  the  only  one  en- 
countered by  him  during  the  season.  In  racing 
parlance,  "  he  wanted  a  race  in  him  "  to  get  him 
thoroughly  fit.  He  had  done  enough  work  to 
get  most  horses  fit,  and  many  animals  would  have 
been  overdone  had  they  gone  through  the  same 
ordeal.  His  constitution,  however,  was  so  robust 
and  his  recuperative  powers  so  great  that  a  good 
ordinary  strong  preparation  was  play  for  him. 

The  Belmont  Stakes,  one  mile  and  three- 
eighths,  track  heavy,  was  the  race  in  which  he 
met  his  Waterloo.     He  had  beaten  his  opponents 


Dominance  of  Domino  451 

—  except  Gala  Day,  who  was  not  considered  a 
factor  in  the  race  —  so  often  as  a  two-year-old 
that  the  race  was  looked  upon  as  a  "  moral "  for 
him,  barring  accidents,  and  providing  he  were  fit 
and  had  made  the  natural  improvement  from  two 
to  three  years  of  age.  There  were  four  runners, 
all  at  even  weights  —  122  pounds. 

The  result  was  a  staggerer  to  the  followers  of 
public  form,  who,  of  course,  realize  that  some 
horses  improve  more  than  others  from  two  to 
three  years  of  age,  and  in  many  cases  are  better 
as  two-year-olds  than  ever  afterwards.  Soon 
after  the  start  Bowling  Brook  went  to  the  front 
and  retained  his  lead  to  the  end,  finishing  six 
lengths  ahead  of  Previous,  who  beat  Hamburg 
by  three  lengths,  with  Gala  Day  forty  lengths  off. 
All  sorts  of  excuses  were  made  for  Hamburg's 
poor  showing.  Some  said  he  could  not  stay, 
some  said  he  had  not  improved  since  he  was  a  two- 
year-old,  while  others  said  the  heavy  track  beat 
him.  These  theories  were  all  wrong,  as  he  later 
on  showed  that  he  was  a  thoroughly  genuine 
stayer,  and  that  he  was  a  street  in  front  of  all 
the  horses  of  his  age ;  while  the  heavy  track  idea 
was  disproved  in  the  previous  year,  when  he  won 
on  a  sloppy  track  at  Brooklyn  and  over  a  heavy 


452  Tbe  American  Thoroughbred 

track  at  Saratoga.  As  explained  above,  the  real 
secret  was  a  "little  short  of  work." 

At  Brooklyn,  Hamburg  beat  Sly  Fox  and 
Handball  in  a  canter,  by  eight  lengths,  in  the 
Spring  Special  Stakes,  one  mile  and  a  sixteenth ; 
time,  1.49.  At  Sheepshead  Bay  he  gave  Loiterer 
and  Murillo  10  pounds  each,  and  beat  them, 
pulled  up,  by  six  lengths  in  the  Swift  Stakes, 
seven  furlongs.  Eleven  days  afterward  he  won 
the  Realization,  one  mile  and  five  furlongs,  easily, 
by  two  lengths,  in  2.51  J,  beating  Plaudit  (winner 
of  the  Kentucky  Derby,  etc.,  and  a  high-class 
race-horse).  The  Huguenot  (winner  of  the  Withers 
Stakes,  the  Brooklyn  Derby,  etc.),  Handball,  Lat- 
son,  and  George  Boyd. 

Hamburg's  last  race  was  for  the  Brighton  Cup, 
two  miles  and  a  quarter,  which  he  won  from  start 
to  finish,  by  one-sixteenth  of  a  mile,  beating 
imported  Ogden  (winner  of  the  Futurity,  etc.), 
who  finished  lengths  in  front  of  Howard  Mann 
(winner  of  the  Brooklyn  Handicap,  etc.);  track 
fair;  time,  4.02 J. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

HORSES    OF   TO-DAY 

For  some  years  the  Washington  Park  Jockey 
Club  had  not  given  any  racing  on  account  of  diffi- 
culties in  Chicago,  and  it  was  not  until  1898  that 
so  splendid  an  event  as  the  American  Derby 
was  run  again.  Pink  Coat,  a  handsome  speci- 
men of  the  American  thoroughbred,  was  the 
winner  on  the  resumption  of  racing.  Bowling 
Brook,  Previous,  and  Hamburg  were  all  three- 
year-olds  in  1898,  and  they  furnished  us  some 
smashing  good  races. 

That  was  Ornament's  year  in  the  Brooklyn 
Handicap,  when  he  beat  Ben  Holladay  in  a 
gruelling  race.  The  Huguenot  was  running 
some  in  those  days,  and  Filigraine  was  a  two- 
year-old  that  was  galloping  himself  into  promi- 
nence. Plaudit,  Bangle,  John  Cooper,  Martimas 
were  galloping  along,  and  Jean  Beraud  was  a 
two-year-old  to  show  himself  to  be  almost  a 
second  Hamburg.  He  won  the  great  American 
453 


454  The  American  Tborougbbred 

at  Gravesend,  the  Great  Eclipse  at  Morris  Park, 
the  Great  Trial  at  Sheepshead,  the  Hudson 
at  Gravesend,  and  the  Tremont  at  Gravesend. 
He  was  a  cracking  good  youngster  and  he 
was  out  in  a  good  youngster  year,  for  that 
was  also  the  season  in  which  we  saw  the  first  of 
Ethelbert.  Black  Venus  was  a  clever  filly  of 
that  time,  beating  Ethelbert,  Martimas,  and 
others  in  the  Great  Eastern  Handicap  at  Coney 
Island  and  running  a  cracking  good  race  to  do  it. 

Good  colt  as  Jean  Beraud  was  as  a  two-year- 
old,  he  was  again  a  great  horse  in  his  three-year- 
old  form,  and  in  1899  he  opened  his  stake  season 
by  winning  the  Belmont  at  Morris  Park  with  a 
good  field  behind  him.  He  also  put  the  Withers 
to  his  credit  at  the  same  meeting  and  then  passed 
out  of  sight. 

It  was  Banistar's  year  in  the  Brooklyn  and 
Imp's  time  in  the  Suburban.  The  racing  sen- 
sation of  the  season,  of  1899,  however,  was  the 
great  chestnut  colt  Mesmerist  by  imported 
Albert,  running  in  the  colors  of  A.  Featherstone 
of  Chicago.  Especially  in  the  late  meetings  of 
the  year  was  Mesmerist  the  invincible  two-year- 
old  of  the  season.  Chacornac  won  the  Futurity, 
but  he  was  no  such  horse  as  this  flying  fellow  by 


Horses  of  To-day  455 

Albert.  He  won  the  Great  Eastern  at  Coney 
Island,  and  was  second  to  David  Garrick  in  the 
Great  Trial  at  the  same  place.  He  retired  as 
acknowledged  two-year-old  champion,  and  the 
most  splendid  things  were  predicted  for  him  in 
his  three-year-old  form.  A  sickness  during  the 
winter  seems  to  have  taken  it  all  out  of  him,  and 
when  he  came  back  to  the  races  he  was  a  parody 
upon  the  Mesmerist  which  we  had  known  the 
year  before.  He  was  possessed  of  an  enormous 
flight  of  speed,  but  in  his  three-year-old  year  he 
was  utterly  unable  to  carry  it  the  distances  a 
three-year-old  is  expected  to  run. 

Bangle  was  a  good  horse  in  1899.  He  was  a 
son  of  Iroquois,  and  his  best  accomplishment  was 
the  winning  of  the  Brighton  Cup,  in  which  he 
beat  Don  de  Oro  and  Latson.  David  Garrick 
was  another  two-year-old  to  come  along  in  1899 
and  show  stake  form.  High  Order  was  a 
youngster  who  had  distinct  class  to  him.  Fili- 
graine,  Ethelbert,  and  others  gave  us  a  smashing 
race  in  the  Metropolitan  Handicap  that  year, 
Filigraine  winning  in  i.39f,  but  it  took  his  life  to 
beat  Ethelbert.  Ethelbert  went  on  and  captured 
the  Realization,  with  a  field  of  seven  three-year- 
olds  behind  him.      Kinley  Mack  had    begun  to 


456  Tbe  American  Tborotighbred 

show  his  class  as  a  three-year-old.  He  demon- 
strated that  he  had  the  old-time  stamina  by  going 
over  a  distance  of  ground  like  a  real  race-horse. 

Washington  Park  resumed  its  racing  in  1900, 
and  there  was  a  brilliant  American  Derby  for 
which  Lieutenant  Gibson,  supposed  to  be  the  best 
three-year-old  in  the  West,  if  not  in  the  entire 
country,  was  a  hot  favorite.  The  Lieutenant, 
however,  had  to  give  way  to  a  rank  outsider, 
Sidney  Lucas,  who  went  on  and  raced  with  such 
excellence  as  to  become  the  hero  of  the  Western 
turf. 

In  the  East,  Ethelbert  was  a  grand  horse  that 
year,  and  probably  the  best  thing  he  ever  did  was 
to  win  the  Brighton  Cup  and  finish  in  front  of 
Imp,  the  black  wonder,  Sidney  Lucas,  and  others. 
This  mare  Imp  belonged  in  the  same  class  as 
Miss  Woodford,  Miss  Ford,  Firenzi,  and  others 
who  had  come  to  stamp  themselves  indelibly 
upon  the  story  of  the  turf.  She  raced  pretty  well 
all  over  the  United  States,  and  she  was  at  it  early 
and  often.  She  was  managed  unfortunately  and 
was  not  given  as  good  opportunities  as  her  great 
speed  and  stamina  deserved.  She  was  not  en- 
gaged in  many  of  the  best  stakes,  and  in  the 
handicaps    she    was    generally  given    such    high 


Horses  of  To-day  457 

weight  that  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  win. 
Yet,  in  spite  of  all  these  difficulties,  she  was  the 
first  mare  to  win  the  Suburban,  and  she  beat 
every  good  horse  in  training  during  the  four 
years  that  she  was  racing.  Her  Suburban  was  a 
grand  race.  The  mile  and  a  quarter  was  run  in 
2.05^,  and  she  had  behind  her  Bannockburn, 
Warrenton,  and  thirteen  others.  Had  she  been 
in  more  careful  hands.  Imp  would  have  been  one 
of  the  really  wonderful  performers  of  the  turf  and 
would  have  put  a  large  number  of  stakes  to  her 
credit.  The  day  that  she  won  the  Suburban  she 
received  such  an  ovation  from  the  crowd  as  had 
not  been  seen  on  the  Sheepshead  Bay  track  since 
the  day  that  Salvator  beat  Tenny.  Grand  old 
mare  she  was,  and  she  is  yet  loved  for  those  brill- 
iant races  that  she  used  to  run  in  simple  over- 
night purses. 

Kinley  Mack  was  the  Brooklyn  Handicap 
winner  that  year,  on  a  heavy  track.  Ballyhoo 
Bey  was  one  of  the  several  good  youngsters  that 
cropped  out  during  the  season.  Tommy  Atkins 
was  another ;  Olympian  was  still  another.  Bally- 
hoo Bey  took  the  Futurity,  with  Olympian  second 
and  Tommy  Atkins  third.  Beau  Gallant  was  a 
youngster  of  considerable  class.     Commando  was 


45 S  The  American  Tboroiigbbred 

another  of  more  than  ordinary  capacity  and  The 
Parader  was  a  good  colt.  Alard  Scheck  was  still 
another,  and  Bellario  might  also  be  added  to  the 
list  of  good  young  ones  that  were  racing  in  1900. 
Oneck  Queen  and  Indian  Fairy  were  a  pair  of 
clever  two-year-old  fillies.  Ethelbert  won  the  Met- 
ropolitan for  us,  and  honest  old  Imp  was  third 
in  it.  Kinley  Mack  went  along  to  win  the  Sub- 
urban, with  Ethelbert,  Gulden,  and  a  big  field 
behind  him.  Conroy  and  Blues  might  not  be 
overlooked  in  a  discussion  of  the  two-year-olds 
of  that  season ;  indeed,  except  for  the  splendid 
accomplishments  of  Kinley  Mack,  who  was  a 
race-horse  of  high  degree,  the  whole  season  of 
1900  might  be  called  a  two-year-old  year.  Such 
a  large  number  of  clever  horses  had  not  been  out 
in  many  previous  seasons. 

In  1 90 1  Robert  Waddell,  an  undersized,  flat- 
ribbed,  inconsequential  looking  colt,  won  the 
American  Derby  from  a  splendid  field  of  horses. 
The  Easterners  had  sent  out  several  candidates 
in  an  attempt  to  capture  this  big  Western  event, 
but  the  very  best  they  could  do  was  to  finish 
third  with  The  Parader.  Robert  Waddell,  win- 
ning a  ^20,000  stake,  looked  less  like  a  Derby 
horse  than  anything  which  had  ever  finished  in 


Horses  of  To-day  459 

front  in  that  great  three-year-old  race.  He  could 
run,  though,  and  you  were  forced  to  respect  him 
for  what  he  did,  though  you  might  not  like  him 
for  his  personal  appearance. 

Commando  was  a  good  colt  that  season.  So 
was  The  Parader,  and  so  was  All  Green.  Com- 
mando won  the  Belmont  at  Morris  Park,  the 
Carlton  at  Gravesend,  running  the  mile  in  i.39f, 
was  second  to  The  Parader  in  the  Realization, 
and  managed  to  get  his  part  of  the  first  money 
throughout  the  season.  Conroy  won  the  Brook- 
lyn and  was  the  first  three-year-old  to  accomplish 
that  feat.  Bonnibert  won  the  Brooklyn  Derby 
in  a  fast  race  with  Blues,  The  Parader,  and  others 
behind  him.  Yankee,  son  of  Hanover,  was  the 
Futurity  winner  that  year,  and  Alcedo  set  a  new 
record  for  the  Suburban,  when  he  beat  Water 
Cure,  Toddy,  and  others,  the  mile  and  a  quarter 
in  2.05I-. 

Chiefly  will  the  season  of  1901  be  remembered, 
however,  as  giving  us  the  debut  of  at  least  two 
remarkable  fillies.  One  of  these  was  Endurance 
by  Right  and  the  other  was  Blue  Girl.  Endur- 
ance by  Right  was  a  daughter  of  Inspector  B. 
She  came  to  the  East  in  the  stable  of  John  W. 
Schorr  of  Memphis.     Before  she  had  been  racing 


46o  The  American  Thoroughbred 

long  here,  it  was  evident  that  no  colt  of  the  season 
could  give  her  a  beating  at  even  weights.  She 
gave  an  early  evidence  of  her  quality  by  winning 
a  number  of  high-class  races  in  the  West,  and 
when  she  came  on  here  she  was  not  unheralded. 
She  passed  at  a  high  figure  into  the  hands  of  the 
late  William  C.  Whitney  and  went  through,  in  his 
colors,  a  remarkable  career,  winning  for  him  no 
less  than  nine  races  out  of  ten  starts.  She  picked 
up  the  Champagne  Stakes  at  Morris  Park,  where 
she  beat  Yankee,  Caughnawaga,  and  others,  and 
the  Great  Eastern  Handicap  at  Sheepshead. 
Because  she  was  not  well  engaged  in  the  stakes 
she  had  fewer  opportunities  than  were  given  to 
other  two-year-olds  of  the  year,  else  her  winnings 
would  have  footed  up  an  enormous  amount.  She 
was  able,  however,  in  overnight  events  and  in 
minor  stakes  to  beat  pretty  well  every  youngster 
we  had  in  training. 

Blue  Girl  had  better  fortune  because  her  en- 
gagements were  many,  and  she  had  every  oppor- 
tunity to  show  her  class.  She  won  the  Great 
American  at  Gravesend,  beating  Nasturtium, 
Major  Daingerfield,  and  others;  she  took  the 
Great  Eclipse  at  Morris  Park,  defeating  Satur- 
day, Whiskey  King,  and  a  good  field;  she  won 


WILLIAM    C.    WHITNEY 


Horses  of  To-day  461 

the  Great  Trial  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  with  Hyphen 
and  Goldsmith  behind  her ;  she  won  the  Juvenile 
at  Morris  Park,  beating  Hyphen  and  Hoyden  and 
others,  and  was  second  in  the  Tremont  to  Whis- 
key King,  but  had  a  good  field  chasing  her. 
Other  races  of  less  importance  she  also  put  to 
her  credit.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Sir  Dixon, 
and  probably  the  best  thing  that  that  fast  horse 
ever  sired. 

It  was  also  the  year  of  Nasturtium.  He  was 
a  big  chestnut  colt  by  imported  Watercress,  bred 
in  California  by  James  B.  Haggin  and  brought 
to  the  races  by  A.  L.  Aste.  Before  the  season 
was  over  he  passed  into  the  hands  of  William 
C.  Whitney  at  the  reported  price  of  ^50,000. 
Especially  during  the  early  part  of  the  season 
was  he  a  hard  nut  for  the  youngsters  to  crack. 

That  was  The  Parader's  year  in  the  Realiza- 
tion. It  was  also  the  season  when  Gold  Heels 
began  to  show  his  excellence.  He  ran  a  cracking 
race  in  the  Oriental  Handicap  at  Gravesend,  when 
he  beat  Blues,  Terminus,  and  others,  a  mile  and 
a  quarter,  in  2.05f.  Banistar  was  a  good  horse 
then,  and  when  he  won  the  Metropolitan  Handi- 
cap it  was  a  foregone  conclusion  that  he  would 
be  the  favorite  for  the  other  big  handicaps  of  the 


462  The  American  Tborotigbbred 

year,  provided  he  maintained  his  form.  Unfortu- 
nately he  did  not  do  so,  and  lameness  prevented 
his  going  through  the  season. 

In  1902  an  army  of  good  ones  were  doing  their 
galloping.  Wyeth  won  a  sensational  American 
Derby  for  John  A.  Drake.  Gold  Heels  won  the 
Brighton  Handicap,  running  the  mile  and  a  quar- 
ter in  2.03I  with  124  pounds  on  him,  setting  the 
record  for  the  distance.  The  same  horse  also 
won  the  Brighton  Cup  and  made  himself  the 
champion  of  the  season.  Drake  had  another 
peek  at  good  fortune  with  his  colt  Savable,  by 
Salvator,  who  won  the  Futurity  for  him. 

Major  Daingerfield  came  to  be  a  magnificent 
three-year-old,  and  among  other  things  won  the 
Lawrence  Realization,  the  Brooklyn  Derby,  and 
the  Tidal  Stakes  at  Sheepshead.  Advance  Guard 
had  become  a  sort  of  popular  idol,  especially 
when  it  came  to  going  over  a  distance  of  ground, 
and  his  winning  of  the  Saratoga  Cup,  at  a  mile 
and  five  furlongs,  was  one  of  the  best  perform- 
ances of  the  year.  Gold  Heels,  however,  was 
distinctly  the  horse  of  the  season,  for  he  not  only 
won  the  Brighton  Handicap  and  the  Brighton 
Cup,  but  he  was  also  that  season's  winner  of  the 
Suburban. 


Horses  of  To-day  463 

It  was  also  the  season  when  Reina,  running  for 
Mr.  A.  Featherstone,  beat  old  Advance  Guard  and 
a  big  field  in  the  Brooklyn.  It  was  the  year  when 
we  saw  the  first  of  Irish  Lad,  and  his  winning  of 
the  Special  at  Saratoga  was  the  first  race  which 
suggested  that  he  might  be  a  future  champion. 
It  was  the  time  of  the  coming  to  us  also  of  Afri- 
cander. Hermis  had  been  a  bad  two-year-old,  but 
when  he  began  his  running  in  the  East  late  in  his 
three-year-old  season,  after  Gold  Heels  had  gone 
lame  and  Major  Daingerfield  was  temporarily  out 
of  commission,  Hermis  became  the  most  talked- 
about  animal  in  the  country.  The  history  of  his 
sale  during  the  Saratoga  meeting  by  H.  M.  Ziegler 
to  L.  V.  Bell,  and  then  the  after  sale  by  Mr.  Bell 
to  E.  R.  Thomas,  for  a  price  generally  supposed  to 
be  ^60,000,  is  familiar  to  every  one.  After  Mr. 
Bell  came  to  own  him,  Hermis  won  nine  straight 
races,  though  he  did  not  put  any  of  the  really 
great  stakes  to  his  credit  for  the  reason  that  he 
was  not  up  to  his  proper  form  in  the  early  part  of 
the  season  when  they  were  being  run.  There 
was  no  great  commanding  two-year-old  that  sea- 
son, though  the  average  was  high. 

In  the  following  year,  that  is  to  say,  in   1903,  a 
remarkable  condition  existed  upon  the  turf.     We 


464  The  American  Tborougbbred 

had  all  sorts  and  kinds  of  two-year-olds,  who  beat 
each  other  with  consistency.  The  little  Ben 
Brush  colt  Broomstick  was  the  first  good  one  to 
show.  But  after  they  had  all  been  weeded  out 
and  cut  down,  the  palm  of  the  year  was  given  to 
Highball,  a  son  of  Ben  Strom. 

The  interest  of  the  year,  however,  centred  in 
the  performances  of  the  rival  three-year-olds, 
Africander  and  Irish  Lad,  and  the  rival  four-year- 
olds,  Waterboy,  Hermis,  and  McChesney.  Any 
one  of  these  five  entered  in  a  race  would  draw  an 
enormous  attendance  to  the  course.  Hermis  in 
the  early  part  of  the  season  was  a  dazzling  disap- 
pointment. McChesney  came  from  the  West 
with  a  great  reputation  and  practically  challenged 
the  Easterners  to  meet  him.  Waterboy  had 
broken  a  hip  when  a  two-year-old  and  was  really 
coming  upon  the  turf  for  the  first  time.  His 
career  was  so  magnificent  that  when  the  season 
was  over  he  was  nominated  the  champion  of  the 
year.  The  Westerners  were  quite  firm  in  their 
belief  that,  with  both  horses  good,  McChesney 
could  beat  Waterboy.  However,  a  contest  be- 
tween the  two  was  never  arranged,  and  Water- 
boy, black  son  of  imported  Watercress,  might  be 
called  the  champion  of  1903. 


Horses  of  To-day  465 

There  was  the  same  discussion  as  between  Irish 
Lad  and  Africander.  Africander  beat  him,  but  it 
was  upon  a  track  not  to  Irish  Lad's  Hking ;  and 
when  they  went  into  winter  quarters,  it  was  the 
general  idea  that  over  a  reasonable  distance  of 
ground  there  was  scarcely  a  pound  difference 
between  them.  Africander  was  a  great  money 
winner  during  the  year,  for  he  belonged  to  the 
Hampton  Stable,  whose  policy  it  was  to  give  him 
as  much  racing  as  he  could  stand.  Among  the 
stakes  which  he  put  to  his  credit  were  the  Belmont 
at  Morris  Park,  the  Realization,  the  Saratoga 
Cup,  and  the  Suburban.  Irish  Lad  was  given 
no  such  campaign  as  this.  Perhaps  his  best  race 
was  in  the  Brooklyn  Handicap,  when,  in  a  mag- 
nificent finish  with  Gunfire,  he  won  that  race  in 
2.05I-,  setting  a  record  for  it. 

The  Futurity  of  1903  was  won  by  Hamburg 
Belle,  a  daughter  of  Hamburg,  who  accomplished 
the  feat  after  having  been  badly  cut  down  at  the 
post.  As  Highball  was  given  the  place  of  first 
among  the  two-year-old  colts,  so  Hamburg  Belle 
was  given  that  among  the  two-year-old  fillies. 

To  show  how  strong  the  English  impress  is 
yet  upon  the  American  race-horse,  it  may  be  said 
here  that    of  the    five    really  great    ones  of   the 


466  The  American  Thoroughbred 

season  of  1903,  Waterboy  is  by  imported  Water- 
cress, Hermis  by  imported  Hermence,  Africander 
by  imported  Star  Ruby,  and  Irish  Lad  by  im- 
ported Candlemas.  Highball  is  by  imported  Ben 
Strom.  Broomstick  by  Ben  Brush,  McChesney 
by  Macduff,  and  Hamburg  Belle  by  Hamburg 
were  the  only  notable  ones  of  the  year  to  be  sired 
by  American  horses.  It  is  still  the  habit  of  the 
breeders  of  America  to  go  to  England  for  both 
sires  and  dams,  that  they  may  get  proper  out- 
crosses  for  the  native  blood  of  America.  Climatic 
change  and  new  environment  seem  to  make  this 
necessary,  that  the  American  horse  may  not  dete- 
riorate. Indeed,  it  is  the  exercise  of  such  wisdom 
that  has  probably  been  more  potent  than  any 
other  influence  in  bringing  the  American  race- 
horse to  that  high  state  of  perfection  which  is 
now  his. 

It  is  doubtful  if  upon  the  face  of  the  earth 
there  exists  an  animal  better  suited  to  the  pur- 
poses of  the  turf  or  the  saddle  than  the  American 
thoroughbred  as  he  stands  to-day.  He  is  a  horse 
of  the  most  splendid  courage.  Individually  he  is 
goodly  to  the  eye.  Speed  he  has,  and  stamina  is 
within  him.  He  can  go  short  distances  at  high 
flights,  and  he  can  compass  longer  routes  with 


Horses  of  To-day  467 

a  staying  quality  that  is  magnificent.  Because  it 
is  not  demanded  of  them,  the  horses  of  to-day  do 
not  race  at  the  greater  distances  which  obtained 
in  the  days  before  the  war.  There  is  no  doubt, 
however,  that,  if  asked  to  do  so,  any  one  of  the 
five  champions  of  1903  could  so  far  eclipse  the 
efforts  of  Boston,  Fashion,  Henry,  Eclipse, 
Lexington,  Lecompte,  and  all  that  galaxy  of  the 
olden  time,  that  they  would  seem  poor  horses 
indeed.  Improved  track  construction,  improve- 
ments in  the  methods  of  training,  various  causes, 
may  contribute  to  this.  Yet  all  horsemen  who 
have  studied  the  matter  are  ready  to  say  that  the 
Waterboy,  or  the  McChesney,  or  the  Irish  Lad, 
or  the  Africander,  of  recent  afternoons,  is  a  better 
horse  than  anything  which  wore  racing  plates  in 
those  early  and  brilliant  years  of  the  American 
turf. 

The  companion  and  the  faithful  of  the  gentle- 
man of  America  is  himself  a  gentleman  of  high 
degree. 


INDEX 


Achilles,  42. 

Actseon,  45,  50. 

Active,  94. 

Actress,  The,  71. 

Ada  Glenn,  380. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  186. 

Advance  Guard,  462,  463. 

Aerolite,  364. 

Africander,  463,  464,  465,  466,  467. 

Ainderby,  72. 

Aladdin,  90,  91. 

Alard  Scheck,  458. 

Alaric,  92. 

Alarm,  367-368. 

Albert,  224. 

Albert  (imported),  454,  455. 

Albion,  333,  383. 

Alborac,  41,  46,  47. 

Alcedo,  459. 

Alchemist,  377. 

Alderman,  43,  222. 

Alexander,  A.  John,  227,  333, 

Alexander,   Robert  Aitcheson,  225, 

227,  308,  309,  323. 
Alexandre,  Harry,  401. 
Alfambra,  385,  387. 
Alfred,  70,  255,  258. 
Alice  Carneal,  169,  275. 
Allen,  John,  126. 
All  Green,  459. 
Alp,  235. 
Alpha,  363. 
Alroy,  337,  339. 
Alston,  Colonel  William,  17,  42,  46, 

50. 


Alston,  Col.  William  [continued]  — 
Breeder  of  note,  40. 
Horses  owned  by,  40-41. 
Interest  in  Comet,  23. 
Owner  (in  part)  of  Washington 

Race-course,  39. 
Owner  of  Betsey  Baker,  24. 
Retirement  from  turf,  44. 
Sale  of  stud,  45. 
Alta,  415. 

Altamont,  227,  228. 
Altorf,  266. 
Amanda,  140. 
Amazon  (American),  378. 
Amazon  (English),  95. 
Ambulance,  436. 
Amelia  Priestman,  252. 
American  Derby,  413,  453. 
American  Eclipse,  73,  127,  185,  187, 
264,  280,  467. 
Description,  139. 
History,  138. 
Pedigree,  138. 
Progeny,  165,  170,395. 
Races,  140-163. 
Sire  of — 
Ariel,  57. 
Doublehead,  224. 
Kitty  Heath,  70. 
Ostrich,  239. 
Stockton,  255. 
Telemachus,  254. 
Vertumnus,  58. 
American  turf  of  to-day,  397-399. 
Americus,  55. 


469 


470 


Index 


Amis,  John  D.,  io6. 
Amis,  William,  lo6. 
Andrew,  62,  73. 
Annapolis  Race-course,  16, 
Anne  Fied,  416. 
Antagonist,  90,  91,  92. 
Antelope,  127. 
Anthony,  94. 
Anvil,  45,  58,  92. 
Anvilina,  72. 
Dam  of  — 

Charlotte,  62. 

Lottery,  58,  60,  80. 

Rosicrucian,  62. 
Pedigree,  45. 
Arab,  55,  107. 
ArabeWa,  53,  lOl. 
Arabian    of   Lord    Godolphin.    See 

Godolphin  Arabian. 
Aramanthe,  95. 
Aratoma,  448. 
Aratus,  65. 

Archduke,  448,  449,  450. 
Archer,  222. 
Archy  stock,  221. 

See  also  Sir  Archy. 
Argyle,  72,  78,  83,  233,  235. 
Ariadne,  42,  45,  48. 
Ariel  (Colonel  Singleton's),  57,  81, 

115,  165-167. 
Ariel  (2d),  335. 
Aristides,  396. 
Aristotle,  55. 
Arrow,  276,  288. 
Arske,  92. 
Ashe,  Porter,  415. 

Association  Course,  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, 329, 
Aste,  A.  L.,  461. 
Asteroid,  312,  322-328. 
Astronomer,  336. 
Atalanta  (Colonel  Alston's),  48. 
Atalanta  (Colonel  Johnson's),  235. 


Audubon,  347,  348. 
Augusta,  58,  71. 
Augustus,  61. 
Aureola,  335,  336. 
Aurora,  80. 
Australian  — 
Sire  of  — 

Fellowcraft,  364. 

Joe  Daniels,  352,  363. 

Maggie,  B.  B.,  382. 

Bab,  52. 

Babcock,  H.  C,  401. 

Babraham,  81. 

Babraham,  Roger's,  113. 

Babraham,  son  of  Godolphin  Ara- 
bian, no,  115,  118. 

Babraham,  Wildman's,  113. 

Bachelor,  the,  293. 

Badger,  Governor  Ogle's,  in. 

Badger  (imported),  no. 

Baillie  Peyton,  239. 

Bajazet  (formerly  called  Young 
Tanner),  114. 

Baldwin,  E.  J.  ("Lucky"),  350, 
414,  415,  422,  424. 

Bal  Gal,  383,  384. 

Balkan,  The,  71. 

Ballankeel,  348,  400. 

Balloon,  352. 

Ball's  Florizel.    See  Florizel,  Ball's. 

Ballyhoo  Bey,  457. 

Baltic,  387. 

Bangle,  453,  455. 

Banistar,  454,  461-462. 

Banker,  50. 

Bank's  Lottery,  92. 

Bannockburn,  457. 

Banquet,  428. 

Banter,  385. 

Barbee,  George,  360,  362. 

Bard,  The,  416,  420,  421,  422,  425, 
427-428. 


Index 


471 


Barefoot,  252,  253. 
Barnes,  406,  408. 
Barnum,  407,  418. 
Baronet,  165. 
Barrett,  389. 
Barry,  Redman  D.,  227, 
Bascombe,  64,  78. 
Bashaw,  n  i ,  132. 
Bayard,  235. 
Bay  Bolton,  90. 
Bay  Maria,  70,  73. 
Bay  Richmond,  80. 
Bay  Slim,  113. 
Bay  Yankee,  80. 

Beacon  Course,  New  Jersey,  236. 
Beau  Gallant,  457. 
Bedford  (imported),  54,  58,  79. 
In  Colonel  Hampton's  stable,  72. 
In  Colonel  Singleton's  stud,  45. 
Sire  of  — 

Ariadne,  42. 

Eliza,  64. 

Gallatin,  41. 

Lottery,  58,  60,  80. 

Nancy  Air,  63,  80. 

Peggy,  82. 
Belair,  82,  148. 
Belbroughton,  81. 
Belcher,  Captain  John,  232. 
Belinda,  400. 
Bell,  L.  v.,  463. 
Bella  Badger,  80. 
Bellario,  458. 
Belle,  400,  437. 
Belle  Mead  Farm,  385,  393. 
Belle  Rattle,  42. 
Belmar,  444. 

Belmont,  August,  323,  331,  399. 
Belmont,  A.,  Jr.,  401. 
Ben  Ali,  421. 

Ben  Brush,  443,  444,  464,  466. 
Bend  Or,  384,  387,  396. 
Ben  Holladay,  444,  453. 


Bennington,  lOl. 
Ben  Strome,  464,  466. 
Beppo,  297. 
Bertrand,  72,  223. 
As  a  sire,  67,  221. 
Pedigree  and  history,  64,  66-67. 
Progeny,  64. 
Races,  65-66. 
Sire  of — 

Bertrand,  Jr.,  64. 

Emily  Johnson,  219. 

Mistletoe,  208. 

Queen  Mary,  205. 

Singleton,  219. 

Woodpecker,  190. 
Bertrand,  Jr.,  62,  64,  83. 
Bet  Bounce,  113. 
Betsey  Baker,  24,  25,  40. 
Betsey  Minge,  234. 
Betsey  Percival,  89. 
Betsey  Richards,  107,  143,  145, 
Big  Medicine,  381. 
Bill  Austen,  64. 
Billet,  406,  407. 
Bilstein,  379,  400. 
Bingaman,  A.  L.,  28 1. 
Bishop  Blaze,  92. 
Black,  III. 

Blackburn's  Whip,  224. 
Black-eyed  Susan,  133,  208,  219, 
Black  Heath,  107. 
Black  Maria  (Hall's),  170-184. 
Black  Maria  (Tayloe's),  47,  76. 
Black  Venus,  454. 
Blank  (first),  89. 

Blank  (second),  104,  105,  106,  107. 
Blarneystone,  448. 
Blazes,  389,  399. 
Blissful,  448. 
Blood-horse  Association,  Nashville, 

Tennessee,  329. 
Blossom,  89. 
Blueaway,  450. 


472 


Index 


Blue  Dick,  187. 

Blue  Girl,  460-461. 

Blue  Grass  Belle,  409. 

Blues,  458,  461. 

Blue  Wing,  419. 

Bluff,  253. 

Bolton  Starling,  the,  III. 

Bona  Fide,  388. 

Bond,  Joshua  B.,  122. 

Bonfire,  388. 

Bonnets  o'  Blue,  62,  168,  180-181, 

247. 
Bonnibert,  459. 
Bonnie  Lizzie,  386. 
Bonnie  Scotland  — 

History,  progeny,  392-393. 
Sire  of  — 

Barnum,  407. 
Bourbon  Belle,  412. 
Dangerous,  168,  315,  321. 
Luke  Blackburn,  377. 
Malcolm,  423. 
Bootjack,  386,  387. 
Bordeaux,  53. 
Bosphorus,  no. 

Boston,  73,  185,  230,  231-274,  315, 
467, 
Description,  232. 
History,  232. 
Pedigree,  232,  258,  272. 
Progeny,  274. 
Put  into  stud,  243-244. 
Races   by,    187,    233-243,    258- 

273- 
Sire  of — 

Lecompte,  275. 

Lexington,  231,  275. 

Madeline,  382. 

Tally  Ho,  30. 
Boudroo,  90,  92. 
Bourbon,  71. 
Bourbon  Belle,  410,  412. 
Bowie,  Odin,  400. 


Bowie  Stakes,  337, 

Bowling  Brook,  444,  446,  447,  448, 

450,451,453. 
Boy,  348. 

Bradford,  J.  H.,  401. 
Brambaletta,  385. 
Bramble,  394,  400. 
Brawner's  Eclipse,  ^'^2). 
Brazil,  72. 

Breckenridge,  John,  sale  of  stud,  222. 
Briar  Sweet,  447,  449. 
Brighton  Beach,  398. 
Bright  Phoebus,  102,  443. 
Brilliant  (Colonel  Johnson's),  179. 
Brilliant,  descendant  of  Slamerkin, 

40,  56,  127. 
Brilliant  Mare,  the,  40,  52. 
Brimmer,  205. 
Broad    Rock   Course,   Virginia,    15, 

85,  240. 
Brood  mares,  168-170. 
Brooklyn  Jockey  Club,  419-420. 
Broomstick,  464,  466. 
Brown,  Captain  Samuel,  416. 
Brown  Dick,  392. 
Brown  Figure,  112. 
Bryant,  "  Sam,"  426. 
Bucephalus,  127. 
Buckeye    Jockey   Club,   Cincinnati, 

329. 
Buckhannon,  384. 
Buckley,  John,  153. 
Buckshot,  335. 
Buckskin,  112. 

Buford,  Colonel  Abraham,  222. 
Bulle  Rock,  3-5,  8,  11,  36. 
Bumbury,  Sir  Thomas  Charles,  89, 

93- 
Buonaparte,  42,  43. 
Burn,  James,  39. 
Bushwhacker,  394. 
Busirus,  181. 
Bustard,  71,  118. 


Index 


473 


Busy  B's,  393. 

Butler,  Governor,  of  South  Carolina, 

77-78. 
Butterflies,  443. 
Buzzard,  52,  83,  222,  223. 
Byerly  Turk,  3,  87. 
By  the  Sea,  336,  337. 

Cade  (horse),  113. 

Cade  (mare),  55. 

Cadwallader,  General  John,  114. 

Cain,  71, 

Calash,  55. 

California,  horse-breeding  in,  349- 

35°- 
Callista,83. 
Camel,  71. 

Cameron,  R.  W.,  331. 
Camiliard,  384. 
Camilla,  54,  114. 
Cammie  F.,  381. 
Campbell,  John,  205,  219. 
Campbell,  Lucius,  39. 
Canace,  383. 
Canary  Bird,  333. 
Candidate,  72. 
Candlemas,  366. 
Cantey,  General  Zack,  67-68. 
Carita,  399. 

Carny,  General  Stephen  W.,  106. 
Carolina,  348. 
Caroline,  53,  83. 
Carters,  the,  Virginian   patrons   of 

the  turf,  108. 
Cashier,  224. 
Cassatt,  378. 
Cassatt,  A.  J.,  401,  416. 
Castianira,  100. 
Catalpa,  91. 
Catch,  91. 
Cato    ("Cate"),  jockey,   195,  205, 

206,  219. 
Caughnawaga,  460. 


Cedar,  94. 

Centella,  366. 

Center,  Robert,  401. 

Centinel  (imported),  25. 

Centinel,  son  of  imported  Centinel, 

55- 
Centinel  Mare,  55. 
Central  Trust,  448. 
Centreville  Course,  Long  Island,  314. 
Chacornac,  454-455. 
Chamberlin,  John  F.,  362. 
Champion,  94. 
Chanticleer,  408. 
Chaos,  428. 
Charade,  443. 
Charles  Carter,  237,  265. 
Charles  Kemble,  107. 
Charleston  (B.C.)  Jockey  Club,  37. 
Charlotte,  62. 
Charlotte  Russe,  70,  73. 
Chateau  Margaux,  57,  72. 
Chatham,  115. 
Cheatham,  John,  258. 
Checkmate,  379,  380,  389. 
Cheesecake,  95. 
Cherokee,  223. 
Chesapeake,  436. 
Chester,  112. 
Chickasaw  Jockey  Club,   Memphis, 

329- 
Chicora,  73. 
Chief  Engineer,  348. 
Childers,  ancestor   of  Diomed,    89, 

125,  133- 
Childers  (Colonel  Washington's),  45. 
Childers,  Mr.  Tayloe's,  55. 
Chillicothe  (Ohio)  Racing  Park,  329, 
Chris  Doyle,  378. 
Cinderella,  52. 
Citizen,  73,  106,  137,  221. 
Civil  War,  effect  of,  on  racing,  313, 

327- 
Clara  Fisher,  58,  59. 


4474 


Index 


J  'Clarion,  251. 
^'Clark,  Major  J.  R,  413. 
^  Clark,  James  L.,  83. 

Clay,  Henry,  164-165. 

Clay,  John  M.,  315,  321,322. 

Cleophus,  444. 

Clifford,  443. 

Clockfast,  55,  81. 

Clockfast  Mare,  81,  82. 

Cockerills,  the,  breeders  of  horses  in 
Tennessee,  229. 

Cocktighter,  127. 

Cocks,  John  G.,  285. 

Collier,  181,  182. 

Collins,  W.,  255. 

Collodia,  336. 

Colonel,  The,  71. 

Columbia,  72. 

Comet  (mare),  81. 

Comet  (Tvvining's,  black  horse),  23, 
24. 

Commando,  457,  459. 

Commerce,  47,  49-52,  79,  80. 

Commis,  91. 

Commodore  Truxton,  96. 

Commoner,  The,  444. 

Compensation,  388. 

Coney  Island  Jockey  Qub,  397,  398, 
401-404. 

Conroy,  458,  459. 

Constable,  William,  140. 

Constitution,  96. 

Contention,  107. 

Cook's  Whip,  80. 

Coquette  (Rose's),  46. 

Coquette.     See  Virginia. 

Cora,  54,  55. 

Coriander,  82. 

Cormorant,  89. 

Cormorant  Mare,  55. 
Cornelia,  50. 
Cornelian,  73. 

Corporal  Trim,  96. 


Correction,  443. 

Corrigan,  "Ed.,"  413,  415. 

Coster,  Captain  J.  H.,  402. 

Cotton,  60. 

Counterplot,  338. 

Counter  Tenor,  443. 

Countess,  347. 

Crab,  112,  118. 

Crafts,  William,  151. 

Crane,  94. 

Crawford,  83. 

Creeping  Kate,  65. 

Creosote,  387,  389. 

Crickmore,  386,  387,  388,  400,  403, 

404. 
Cripple,  140. 
Cristabel,  61, 
Crockford,  346. 
Croker,  Richard,  440,  442. 
Crusader,  72,  107. 
"Cub  Mare,"  12,  124-125,  131-133, 

137- 
Cygnet,  89. 

Dabster,  11. 
Daisy,  83. 

Damsel,  Miller's.    See  Miller's  Dam- 
sel. 
Danae,  94. 

Dance  Family,  the,  445. 
Dangerous,  168,  315,  321. 
Dan  Sparling,  400. 
Dare  Devil,  43,  55. 
Darkness,  391. 
Darley  Arabian,  the,  3,  87. 
David,  94. 
David  Garrick,  455. 
Davie,  Allen  J.,  105. 
Davison,  Gordon,  321. 
Dax,  94. 

Day  Star,  394,  399. 
Decatur,  236,  237,  239-240. 
Defence,  71. 


Index 


Defiance,  58. 

De  Lancey,  Colonel  James  — 

Breeder  of  Maria  Slamerkin,  126. 

Importer  of  thoroughbreds,   12, 
24. 

Owner  of  thoroughbreds  and   a 
turfman,  116,  135. 
Delilah,  408. 
Delphine,  71,  73,  76. 
Demirep,  53. 
Desdemona,  55,  94. 
Dew  Drop,  414,  417. 
Diablo,  426,  443. 
Diadem,  90,  92. 
Diana,  123. 

Dickinson-Jackson  duel,  229. 
Dick  Jackson,  347. 
Dictator,  46. 
Dido,  80. 

Diomed    (imported),    18,  137,  230, 
390. 

Death,  97-98, 

Descendants,   93-96,    lOO,     140, 
148,  223,  228,  231,  247. 

Description,  96. 

History,  88-99,  93>  97- 

Pedigree,  89. 

Races  by,  89-93. 
Diomed  Mare,  55. 
Diomed  (Perkins's),  96. 
Diomed  (Wragland's),  96. 
Director,  65,  107. 
Dobbins,  438-443. 
Dockson,  82. 
Doctor,  49. 
Dodsley,  Rev.  C,  82. 
Dolly  Carter,  352,  363. 
Domino,  438-443. 
Don  Alonzo,  443. 
Don  de  Oro,  444,  445. 
Don  Fulano,  383,  384. 
Don't  Care,  448. 
Dorocles,  42,  81,  82. 


Dosoris,  236.  \ 

Doublehead,  224,  X 

Dove,  dam  of  Fleetfoot,  252. 
Dove  (imported  horse),  55,  1 1 1, 1 16, 

132. 
Dragon,  62,  222. 
Drake,  John  A.,  462. 
Dr.  Hasbrouck,  437. 
Dr.  Rice,  443. 
Drone,  56,  90,  92. 
Drone  Mare,  56. 
Dry  Monopole,  416,  419, 
Duane,  238. 

Duke  of  Magenta,  394,  396. 
Duke  of  Montalban,  408. 
Duke  of  Montrose,  380,  396. 
Dungannon,  43,  53. 
Duroc,  96,  138,  140,  185,  252. 
Dutchess,  91. 
Dutch  Roller,  408. 
Duvall,  Justice  Gabriel,  119,  186. 
Dwyer  Brothers,  400. 
Owners  of  — 

Barnes,  406. 

Blackburn,  378. 

Miss  Woodford,  407,  415. 

Tremont,  416. 
Promoters   of  Brooklyn    Jockey 
Club,  420. 
Dwyer,  "  Phil,"  439. 

Eagle,  96,  222. 

Easter  Gift,  450, 

Ebony,  113,  114. 

Eclipse,  American,  see  American 
Eclipse. 

Eclipse,  Bond's,  123. 

Eclipse,  Brawner's,  alias  Counter- 
plot, 338. 

Eclipse  (English),  18,  45,  loi,  102, 
140. 

Eclipse  (imported),  367. 

Eclipse  Lightfoot,  254,  255. 


476 


Index 


Eclipse-Slasher  Barbarity  filly,  335, 

336. 
Eden,  Governor,  of  Maryland,  no, 

113,  126. 
Edendary,  388. 
Edfrida,  61. 
Edings,  J.  E.,  84. 
Edison,  385. 
Edwin,  336. 
Eliacin,  383. 

Elias  Lawrence,  379,  400, 
Eliza,  64,  75,  82. 
Elizabeth,  71. 
Eliza  Riley,  181. 
Eliza  White,  96. 
Ella  D.,  412. 
Elliott,  Stephen  D.,  285. 
Elly  Crump,  73. 
Elsie,  335,  336,  339,  346. 
Emilius,  71,  72,  253. 
Emily  (imported),  71-73. 
Emily  Johnson,  208,  219. 
Emmeline,  71. 
Emmy,  81. 

Emperor  of  Norfolk,  423-424. 
Empress,  165. 
Endurance,  459-460. 
Engineer-Planet,  336. 
English     impress     upon    American 

horses,  465. 
English  Lady,  436. 
Enniskillen,  386. 
Enquirer,  395,  396. 
Eole,  388,  389,  405,  406,  418. 
Eolus,  337,  396,  421,  436. 
Eon,  436. 
Equality,  132. 

Erdenheim  stud,  the,  near  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.,  382. 
Escape,  46. 
Esopus,  127, 

Ethelbert,  454,  455,  456,  458, 
Ethel  Sprague,  336. 


Euphrasia,  loi. 
Eurus,  421. 
Expectation,  43. 
Expedition,  80. 
Express,  337. 

Fadladeen,  346,  367. 

Fairfaxes,  the,  patrons  of  the  turf, 

108, 
Fairfield  Race-course,  Virginia,  85. 
Fair  Rachel,  12,  124. 
Fairview  Race-course,  Virginia,  15. 
Fairy,  436. 

Fairy  (Hoomes').     5(f«  Ariadne. 
Falkirk,  384. 
Falsetto,  396. 
Fame,  89. 
Fanchon,  335,  336. 
Fancy,  89. 
Fancy  Jane,  407, 
Fanny,  52,  94. 
Fanny  Holton,  368. 
Fantail,  56. 
Farita,  399. 
Farmer,  50. 
Faro,  40. 

Farrell,  John,  257, 
Fashion,  187,  231,  245,  315,  320,  467. 

Description,  248-251. 

History,  247-248,  250,  251. 

Pedigree,  168,  247,  254,  255,  258. 

Progeny,  168,  274. 

Racing  career,  252-273. 

Record,  267. 
Favor,  414. 
Fearnought,  ii,  14,  55,  56,  86,  97, 

127,  221,  223. 
Feather,  89. 

Featherstone,  A.,  454,  463. 
Fellowcraft,  292,  364,  365-366,  369. 
Fellows,  C,  401. 
Fenwicke,  Edward,  39,  49. 
Ferguson,  Colonel  James,  81-83. 


Index 


477 


Ferncliff,  381. 

Fiddler,  3S4. 

Fiddle  String,  399. 

Fides,  427. 

Figaro,  83. 

Figure,  54,  in,  112,  1 16. 

Filho-da-Puta,  72,  82. 

Filigraine,  453,  455. 

Financier,  165. 

Finesse,  337. 

Firearm,  444,  447,  449,  450. 

Fire  Brand,  52. 

Firenzi,   417,   422,  425,    428,   436, 

456. 
First  Chance,  348. 
First  Consul,  1 21-123. 
First  Fruit,  448. 
First  Mate,  443,  444. 
Fitz  Diomed,  96. 
Fitzsimons,  Colonel  Paul,  78-79. 
Fitzsimons,  Dr.  C,  84. 
Flag  of  Truce,  121,  127. 
Fleetfoot,  252. 
Fleetwing,  392. 
Fleur  de  Lis,  71. 
Flimnap,  24,  38,  40,  54. 
Flirt,  50. 

Flirtilla,  107,  125,  133,  166. 
Flirtilla,  Jr.,  107. 
Flora,  45. 
Florence,  385. 
Floretta,  122. 
Florida,  417. 
Florine,  314. 
Florizel,  89. 

Florizel,  Ball's,  80,  95,  185,  224. 
Florus,  91. 

Flying  Childers,  in,  143,  172. 
Flying  Dutchman,  449. 
Fonso,  378,  379. 
Foreigner,  95. 
Forester,  222. 
"Forrester,  Frank,"  18. 


Fortitude,  92. 
Foxhall,  396,  403. 
Frank, 348. 
Freeland,  415. 
French  Park,  427. 
Friar,  The,  444. 
Frivolity,  336. 
P'rohman,  448. 
Furiosus  Celscis,  42. 
Fury,  72. 

Gabriel,  380. 

Gabriella,  107. 

Gadsden,  72. 

Gala  Day,  451. 

Galen,  439. 

Galilee,  439. 

Gallatin,  41-44,  45,  60,  62. 

Galloway,  Samuel,  114,  120. 

Galopade,  445. 

Gano,  241. 

Ganymede,  60. 

Garrison,  Joseph   S.,  193,  194,  205, 

219. 
Gebhard,  "  Fred,"  405. 
General  Monroe,  406,  407,  408, 409, 

414. 
General  Philips,  380,  381. 
Geneva,  91. 
Geologist,  384. 
George  Boyd,  452. 
George  Keene,  447,  450, 
George  Kinney,  408. 
George  Martin,  281. 
George  Wallace,  336,  337. 
Geraldine,  443. 
Getaway,  387,  388. 
Giantess,  94. 

Gibbon,  William,  254,  255,  258,  272. 
Gibbons,  WMlliam,  248. 
Gibraltar,  449. 
Gimcrack,  140. 
Girl  of  My  Heart,  336. 


478 


Index 


14. 


13- 


Girofle,  378,  380. 

Gist,  Samuel,  3. 

Gladiola,  388. 

Glaucus,  30,  61,  95. 

Glencoe    (imported),  75,   275,  314, 

322,  390-392. 
Glenelg,  417,  425. 
Glenmore,  381,  382,  400,  403,  404. 
Glidelia,  381,  387,  389,  393,  396. 
Glimpse,  391. 
Godolphin,  72,  83. 
Godolphin  Arabian,  the,  55,  87,  i 
Sire  of  — 

Babraham,  iii,  115,  118. 

Cripple,  140. 

Martindale'sRegulus,  23,  l 

Selima,  114. 
Gohanna,  107,  167,  235,  253,  255 
Goldfinder,  92. 
Gold  Heels,  461,  462. 
Goldsmith,  461. 
Goode,  John,  56. 
Goode,  John  C,  133. 
Goode,  Thomas,  89,  127-133. 
Goodwyn,  Dr.  George,  255,  258. 
Gordon,  Skipworth,  401. 
Governor  Hampton,  394. 
Granby,  120,  127. 
Grand  Prix  de  Paris,  396. 
Grasshopper,  127. 
Gray  Diomed,  94,  140. 
Gray  Eagle,  189-206,  208, 

248. 
Gray  Figure,  iii,  112. 
Gray  Medley,  227. 
Gray  Medoc,  266. 
Gray  Planet,  348. 
Great  Carle,  384. 
Great  Tom,  426. 
Greenland,  386,  388. 
Grenada,  378,  380,  381,  396,  399, 
Grey  Grantham,  89. 
Greyhound,  47,  94,  228-229. 


217,  219, 


Grinstead,  348,  350,  396. 
Griswold,  F.  \V.,  401. 
Grosvenor,  Lord,  140. 
Guatimozin,  94. 
Gulden,  458. 
Gunfire,  465. 
Gunn  Mare,  54. 

Hackabuk,  94. 

Haggin,    James   B.,  417,  429,  435, 

436- 
Hall,  Henry,  170. 
Hall,  W.,  362. 
Hall's  Union,  80. 
Halma,  443. 
Hambletonian,  80. 
Hamburg,  444,  445-452,  453.  4^6. 
Hamburg  Belle,  465,  466. 
Hamerfest,  378. 
Hamilton,  419. 
Hamilton,  Dr.  Thomas,  24,  III,  113, 

115. 
Hamlintonian,  95,  224. 
Hampton,  337. 
Hampton  (Bond's),  96. 
Hampton,  Colonel  W.,  68-77,  78- 
Hampton,  Frank,  84. 
Hampton,  General  Wade,  23. 

An  original  proprietor  of  Wash- 
ington Race-course,  39. 

Owner  of  — 
Hazard,  46. 
Patriot,  51. 

Stable  of,  17,  54-56. 
Hampton  Stable,  465. 
Hampton's     Maria.         See     Maria 

(Hampton's). 
Handball,  444,  447,  448,  449,  450, 

452- 
Handspring,  443,  444. 
Hanover,  417,  421. 

Pedigree,    history,    races,    410- 

412,  422. 


Index 


479 


Hanover  \^co7ttinue(r\ 
Sire  of  — 

Hamburg,  445. 

Yankee,  459. 
Harding,  General  W.  E.,  229,  393. 
Hardwood,  363. 
Hardy  Howel,  81. 
Harlot,  56. 
Harmony,  112,  116. 
Harold,  380,  382,  399. 
Harper,  John,  338,  368. 
Harpoon,  47,  51,  53. 
Harriet,  61. 
Harris,  Arnold,  285. 
Harry  Bassett,  368. 

Description,  333-335- 
History  and  pedigree,  332-333. 
Races,  335-348. 
Stud  career,  348. 
Harry  Reed,  443,  444. 
Harvey,  448. 
Hastings,  444. 
Hattie  O'Neill,  346. 
Hawk-Eye,  193,  205. 
Hazard,  46,  51,  53. 
Hebe,  58. 

Heckscher,  John  G.,  401,  402. 
Heel  and  Toe,  408. 
Helen  Nichols,  437. 
Helling,  J.  H.,  254. 
Helmbold,  337,  338,  339. 
Henrietta,  346. 
Henry.     See  Sir  Henry, 
Henry  (son  of  Norfolk),  363. 
Henry  Archy,  184. 
Henry  of  Navarre,  443,  444. 
Hephestion,  59,  72. 
Sire  of — 

Ganymede,  60. 

Kitty,  81. 

Trumpetta,  82. 
Son  of  Buzzard,  223. 
Herald,  73,  75-76. 


Hercules,  363. 

Herman,  383. 

Hermence,  466. 

Hermione,  94. 

Hermis,  463,  464. 

Hero,  94. 

Herod,  56,  90,  96,  loi. 

Herod  Mare,  82. 

Heyward,  William  C,  84. 

Hiazim,  133. 

Hickory,  185. 

Hidalgo,  419,  421. 

Highball,  464,  465,  466, 

Highflyer,  52,  53,  100. 

Highlander    (Colonel    Hampton's), 

53- 
Highlander  (of  Alabama),  276. 
High  Order,  455. 
Himyar,  396,  438. 
Hindoo,  402,  417. 

Pedigree,  385. 

Races,  385-389,  404,  405,  406. 

Sire  of  Hanover,  410,  411. 
His  Highness,  436. 
His  Lordship,  335. 
Hock  Hocking,  363. 
Honest  John,  80,  127. 
Honesty,  127. 
Honeydew,  446. 
Hoomes,  Colonel,  of  Bowling  Green, 

Va.,  87,  88,  89,  108. 
Hope,  50. 
Horatius,  89. 
Hornet,  127. 
Hornpipe,  443. 

Horse    Haven,    nickname    of  Sara- 
toga    Race-course.       See 
that  title. 
Howard  Mann,  444,  452. 
Howell,  C.  T.,  84. 
Howell,  J.  M.,  72,  82,  84. 
Hoyden,  461. 
Hubbard,  346,  352. 


48o 


Index 


Huguenot,  The,  447,  449,  452,  453. 

Humphrey  Clinker,  83. 

Hunt,  Daniel,  126. 

Hunter,  John,  84. 

Hyazin,  125. 

Hybiscus,  73. 

Hyphen,  461. 

Idaho,  335,  336. 
Idlewild  — 

Dam  of  Wildidle,  350. 

Greatest  race,  315-321. 

History,  314-315, 

Pedigree,  311,  314,  350,  392. 
Imp,  454,  45M57- 
Inaugural,  125,  133. 
Indian  Fairy,  458. 
Indian  Queen,  228. 
Industry,  107, 

Inspector  B.,  416,  428,  459. 
Inverary,  367. 
Invermoor,  400. 

Irish  Gray  (called  also  Northumber- 
land), 118,  120. 
Irish  Lad,  463,  464,  465,  466,  467. 
Irish  Reel,  449. 
Iroquois,  382-385,  403,  455. 
Irving,  Dr.,  Secretary  of  South  Caro- 
lina Jockey  Club,  19,  84. 
Irving's  Plow  Boy,  229. 
Irvinia,  82. 
Isabel,  95. 
Ishmael,  383,  384. 
Isola,  383. 

Isonomy  (English),  376. 
Isora,  83. 
Ivanhoe,  125,  132. 

Jack  of  Hearts,  387,  408. 
Jackson,  Colonel  James,  72,  391. 
Jackson-Dickinson  duel,  229. 
Jackson,  General  Andrew,  186,  228. 
James  Cropper,  181. 


James  Long,  258. 

Jamesville   Race-course,  Clarendon, 

S.C,  48. 
Janet  Bertrand,  107. 
Janus,  24. 

Descendants,    55,   56,    148,   221, 

223. 
Importance  of,  on  American  turf, 

II,  14,  86,  87,  97. 
Javelin,  80. 

Jean  Beraud,  453-454. 
Jeannette  Berkley,  83. 
Jerome  Edgar,  315,  321. 
Jerome,  Leonard  W.,  323,  336,  398, 

401. 
Jerome  Park,  New  York,  329,  330- 

331,  367.  397- 
Jerome,  William  Travers,  331. 
Jenkins'  Sir  William,  205. 
Jennings,  Walter,  400. 
Jenny  Cameron,  55. 
Jenny  Dismal,  55. 
Jessamine,  82,  83. 
Joe  Blackburn,  288. 
Joe  Daniels,  346,  352-362. 
John-a-Nokes,  90. 
John  Blount,  245,  255,  258. 
John  Cooper,  453. 
John  Merryman,  336. 
John  Richards,  80,  107,  143. 
Johnson,  Colonel  William   R.,  164, 
232,  252. 
Champion     of     Sir     Henry    vs. 
Eclipse,  142, 143, 162-163. 
Owner  of — 

Argyle  (in  part),  78. 
Boston,  232-233,  258,  272. 
Sir  Archy  (in  part),  102,  105, 

334- 
Telemachus,  254. 
Stables  of,  17,  235. 
Jolly  Roger,  11,  86,  87,  97. 
Descendants,  54,  55,  148. 


Index 


48] 


Jones,  Wiley,  24. 

Juanita,  3S0. 

Judge  Durrell,  337. 

Judge  Morrow,  436,  437. 

Judge  Murray,  399. 

Julia,  62. 

Julius  Caesar,  448. 

Juniper,  115. 

Juno,  115. 

Jury,  348. 

Justice,  50. 

Kate  Converse,  83. 

Kate  Kearney,  107,  254. 

Kate  Seaton,  72. 

Katie  Pease,  347,  350,  362-363,  365. 

Keene,  James  R.,  400,  401,  442. 

Keene  Richards,  348. 

Kendall  Course,  239. 

Kendall,  Joseph  B.,  255. 

Kenner,  Duncan  F.,  285. 

Kennon's  Whip,  224. 

Kentucky,  312,  322-328,  335,  392. 

Kentucky-Ariel  filly,  336. 

Kentucky     horses,    superiority     of, 

220-227. 
Kentucky-Mary  Biddle  filly,  336. 
Kentucky  Whip,  177. 
Kildeer,  436. 
Kimball,  378,  380,  381. 
Kingcraft,  399. 
King  Ernest,  400. 
King  Herod,  55. 
King  Tom,  392. 
King  William  (Lord  Bolingbroke's), 

90,  91. 
Kingfisher,  367,  396. 
Kinglake,  408. 

Kingston,  417,  422,  427,  428,  437. 
Kinkead,  379,  381. 
Kinley  Mack,  455-456,  457,  458. 
Kirkman,  J.,  75-76. 
Kitefoot,  447,  449. 


Kitty,  81. 
Kitty  Bull,  54. 
Kitty  Fisher,  54,  55. 
Kitty  Heath,  70,  73. 
Kitty  J.,  3S0. 
Knight  Templar,  378. 
Kosciusko,  223. 

Pedigree,  58,  60,  107. 
Sire  of — 

Clara  Fisher,  58-59. 

Daisy,  83. 

Lambelle,  60. 

Nondescript,  57. 

Sally  Richardson,  79. 

Young  Peggy,  82. 
Kuhleborn,  383. 

Laburnum,  94. 

Laclede  Jockey  Qub,  St.  Louis,  329. 

Ladson,  James,  39. 

Lady  Bolingbroke,  55. 

Lady  Bull,  53. 

Lady  Canton,  255. 

Lady  Chesterfield,  96. 

Lady  Clifden,  235. 

Lady  Clyde,  347. 

Lady  Ezras,  57. 

Lady  Flirt,  180. 

Lady  Hunter,  180. 

Lady  Lightfoot,  73,  107,  141,  170. 

Lady  Morgan,  79,  80. 

Lady  Northumberland,  1 18. 

Lady  Reel,  445. 

Lady  Relief,  172,  174,  178. 

Lady  Suffolk,  297. 

Lady  Violet,  437. 

Lafayette,  44. 

Laird,  Joseph,  77,  251,  255,  258. 

Laird,  Samuel,  251,  254,  255,  258. 

Lais,  95. 

L'Alouett,  444,  450. 

Lambelle,  60. 

Lamplighter,  436,  437. 


482 


Index 


Langar,  71. 

Langford,  186,  351,  363. 
Lanier,  394. 
Lath,  53,  128,  135. 

Importation  of,  12,  I24. 

Pedigree,  70,  72. 

Races,  50,  III. 
La  Tosca,  436. 
Latson,  452,  455. 
Laudenian,  446,  448. 
Laurentina,  95. 
Lavinia,  96. 

Lawrence,  J.  G.  K.,  398,  401,  402. 
Lazzarone,  443. 
Leamington  — 

Sire  of — 

Enquirer,  395. 
Inverary,  367. 
Iroquois,  382. 
Longfellow,  338. 
Parole,  377. 
Leamington-Bapta  filly,  336. 
Leannah,  80-81. 
Lecompte,  467. 

Pedigree,  169,  274,  275. 

Races,  275-282,  294-303. 
Leed's  Arabian,  89. 
Lees,  of  Virginia,   the,  patrons   of 

the  turf,  108. 
Lelex,  386,  387. 
Leme,  336. 
Lennoxlove,  384. 
Leon,  384. 
Leopold,  180. 
Leviathan,  42,  76. 
Lexington,  185,  312,  364. 

Descendants,  311-312,  322,  390. 

Description,  275,  309-310. 

Pedigree,  169,  231,  275. 

Position  on  American  turf,  231, 
305-308,  467. 

Races,  274,  275-291,  294-305. 

Record,  288,  291. 


Lexington  \_coniinued'\  — 
Sire  of — 

Fanny  Holton,  368. 

Florence,  385. 

Harry  Bassett,  333. 

Idlewild,  320. 

Maiden,  377. 

Nevada,  377. 

Norfolk,  423. 

Prince  Charlie,  426. 

Reporter,  315. 

True  Blue,  351. 
Stud  career,  306-309. 
Lexington  Association,  188-189, 313. 
Lexington   Race-course,  Kentucky, 

187-189. 
Liberty,  132. 
Lida,  395. 

Lida  Stanhope,  389. 
Lieutenant  Gibson,  456. 
Lightfoots,  of  Virginia,  the,  patrons 

of  the  turf,  108. 
Lightning-Sovereign,      O'Donnell's, 

336. 
Lilac,  76. 

Lilla  Harness,  336. 
Lilly,  71. 
Lissak,  443. 
Little  Billy,  79,  80. 
Little  David,  38. 
Little  John,  60. 
Little  Pickle,  94. 
Little  Venus,  62. 
Little  Witch,  55. 
Livingston,  Walter,  135,  142. 
Lize,  395. 
Lizzie  Dwyer,  416. 
Lizzie  S.,  385,  386. 
Loadstone,  323. 
Lochiel,  346. 
Lodi,  324,  351,392,  423. 
Lofty,  14. 
Loiterer,  447,  452. 


Index 


483 


Longfellow  — 

Pedigree,  338,  368,  377. 

Races,  341-345.  395-396. 

Sire  of — 

The  Bard,  420. 
Thora,  399,  400. 
Long,  James,  272. 
Long,  Lemuel,  148. 
Longstreet,  428,  437. 
Lord   Bolingbroke's  King  William, 

90,91. 
Lord  Chelmsford,  384. 
Lord  Murphy,  400. 
Lorillard,  George,  403. 
Lorillard,  G.  L.,  399. 
Lorillard,  Pierre,  376,  404,  409. 
Lorillard,  P.,  Jr.,  401, 
Los  Angeles,  422,  424-425,  428. 
Lotta  Moon,  347,  348. 
Lottery,  44,  58,  60,  79. 
Lottery  (Bank's),  92. 
Lottery,  young,  58,  60. 
Lou,  394. 
Lou  Dove,  169. 
Lowndes,  William,  84. 
"Lucky"     Baldwin.     See    Baldwin, 

E.J. 
Lucretia  Borgia,  292. 
Lucy,  71,  73. 
Lucy  George,  378. 
Lucy  Glitters,  384. 
Luke  Blackburn,  377-382,  393,  402, 

403- 
Lurcher,  127. 
Luzborough,  76. 
Lydian,  449. 
Lyttleton,  340,  345. 

M.  A.  B.,  347. 
McChesney,  464,  466,  467. 
McCleod,  William,  39. 
McDaniel,  Colonel  David,  333. 
Macduff,  466. 


McGrath,  H.  P.,  404. 
M'Pherson,  Colonel,  an  organizer  of 
Washington  Race-course, 

39,  5°- 
M'Pherson,  General  John,  of  South 
Carolina,   17,  39,  46,  49, 

52-53- 

Madame  Dudley,  336. 

Madam  Tonson,  227. 

Mad  Cap,  90. 

Madeline,  382. 

Madison,  96. 

Madre,  383. 

Maggie  B.  B.,  382. 

Magistrate,  71. 

Magnolia,  322. 

Magnolia  Course,  Mobile,  Ala.,  329. 

Maiden,  377. 

Maid  of  the  Oaks,  185. 

Major  Daingerfield,  460,  462. 

Malaga,  391. 

Malcolm,  423. 

Mambrina,  41. 

Mambrino,  41,  54,  58. 

Mamie  Hall,  352,  354,  355,  356,  357. 

Mania,  83. 

Manigault,  Gabriel,  39. 

Manners,  John,  1 26-1 31. 

Mannie  Gray,  438. 

Maretzek,  385. 

Margaret  Wood,  76. 

Maria,  44,  53,  81,  82,  127. 

Maria  (Burwell's),  81,  82. 

Maria  (Hampton's),  44,  53,  81,  127. 

Maria  Slamerkin  (called  also  Miss 
Slamerkin,  Old  Slamerkin, 
and  Slamerkin),  125-133. 

Maria  West,  73,  76,  205,  219. 

Mariamne,  iii. 

Marian,  107,  423, 

Marianne,  57. 

Marigold  (by  Herod),  90. 

Marigold  (Storn's),  366. 


484 


index 


Mariner,  i68,  246,  249,  251. 

Marion,  73,  219,  255. 

Marion  C,  436. 

Mark  Anthony,  23,  24. 

Marie  Richards,  181. 

Mark  Time,  44,  60. 

Marplot,  42,  45,  52. 

Marske,  loi. 

Martimas,  453. 

Martindale's  Regulus,  23. 

Mary  Blount,  255,  258. 

Mary  Blunt,  233,  235. 

Mary  Chilton,  351,  363. 

Mary  Clark,  336,  337,  338,  339. 

Mary  Gray,  54. 

Mary  Lea,  30. 

Mary  Louise,  335,  339,  345. 

Mary  Randolph,  167-168,  255. 

Mary  Singleton,  60. 

Maryland  — 

Horses  brought  to,  no. 

Sports  in,  110-117, 
Maryland  Course,  near  Baltimore,  16, 
Maryland  Jockey  Club,  l8l. 
Mascus,  335. 
Massena,  132. 

Matchem  (Bellinger's),  49,  50. 
Matchem  (imported),  40,  loi. 
Matchless,  80. 
Matella,  340. 
Maud,  367. 
May-day,  182. 
Mazarine,  Lord,  118. 
Mazyck,  J.  W.,  84. 
Medley  (imported),55,223,  224, 227. 
Medoc,  185. 
Medora,  180. 

Medora  (imported),  57-58. 
Melzor,  224. 
Mercedes,  406. 
Merchant,  53,  72. 
Mercury,  52,  92. 
Meridian,  253. 


Merodac,  347. 
Merry  Andrew,  47. 
Merryman,  112. 
Merry  Tom,  ?,2,. 
Mervinia,  72. 
Mesmerist,  454-455. 
Messenger  (imported),  18,  135,  165. 
Sire  of  — 

Bright  Phoebus,  102. 

Honest  John,  127. 

Miller's  Damsel,  138. 

Zelippa,  80. 
Metairie  Course,  New  Orleans,  La., 

274,  294,  329. 
Metairie  Jockey  Club,  285. 
Meteor,  50. 
Michael,  94. 
Middlethorpe,  82. 
Miller's  Damsel,  102,  138,  185. 
Milliner,  72,  73. 
Minerva,  96,  103. 
Mingo,  193. 

Minnie  Mansfield,  352,  362. 
Minor,  Captain  William  J.,  285. 
Minstrel,  281. 
Miser,  400. 
Miss  Belvoir,  89. 
Miss  CHfton,  71. 
Miss  Ford,  421,  456. 
Miss  Garforth,  60. 
Miss  Jefferson,  96. 
Miss  Mattie,  252. 
Miss  Slamerkin.     See  Maria  Slamer- 

kin. 
Miss  Stephenson,  71. 
Miss  Tims,  42. 
Miss  Woodford,  407,  415,  418,  419, 

422,  456. 
Mistake,  378. 
Mistletoe,  208. 
Mitchell,  Colonel,  of  South  Carolina, 

17.  39- 
Modesty,  413,  415. 


Index 


485 


Modoc,  281. 

Mogul,  53. 

Molly  McCarthy,  370-375. 

Molock,  102. 

Monarch  (imported),  30,  71,  73,  74, 

168. 
Monarchist,  336,  337,  339,  346,  396. 
Monitor,  379,  381,   387,   388,    394, 

399.  403.  406. 
Monkey,  94. 
Monmouth  Eclipse,  253. 
Montana,  436,  437. 
Montezuma,  94. 
Monticello,  96. 
Morello,  436,  437. 
Morgan,  Peter,  24. 
Morgan  Rattler,  127. 
Morlacchi,  337,  338. 
Moore,   Captain    Thomas    G.,   314, 

320. 
Moore,  J.  B.,  84. 
Mopsqueezer,  95. 
Morris,  Lewis  G.,  331. 
Morris,  M.,  321. 
Morrissey,  John,  314. 
Mortimer,  409. 
Morton's  Traveller,  55,  115. 
Moscow,  378. 
Mosely,  140. 
Moses,  224,  386. 
Moss  Rose,  363. 
Moultrie,  William,  39, 
Mr.  Baiter,  447. 
Mr.  Pickwick,  438. 
Mrs.  Siddons,  95. 
Muckle  John,  62,  107. 
Muriel,  384. 
Murillo,  452. 
Murphy,  Isaac,  423,  430. 
My  Lady,  71,  73. 

Nancy  Air,  44,  63,  80. 
Nancy  Whirligig,  54. 


Nanny,  252. 

Nantura,  338,  368. 

Napoleon,  107. 

Nasturtium,  460,  461. 

Nathan  Oaks,  336,  337. 

National   Course.     See   Washington 
(D.C.)  Race-course. 

Native  horse  of  America,  8-10. 

Nebo,  57. 

Nebula,  323. 

Neill,  S.  M.,  268. 

Nellie  Gray,  336,  337,  338,  339. 

Nellie  Ransom,  337,  339, 

Nema,  346. 

Neophite,  383. 

Nettle,  116. 

Nevada,  377, 

Newmarket  Course,  Charleston,  S.C, 
15,  18-22,  24,  25,  35. 

Newmarket  Course,  Petersburg,  Va., 
IS,  85,  234,  238. 

Newmarket  Heath,  England,  7. 

Newport,  336. 

New  York,  racing  in,  133-136. 

Nick  Biddle,  235. 

Nightingale,  Thomas,  15. 

Nondescript,  57. 

Nonpareil,  iii. 

Non  Plus,  60-61,  83. 

Norfolk  — 

Descent,  312,  322-323,  392. 
Races,  323-324,  351. 
Rivalry  with  Asteroid  and  Ken- 
tucky, 327-328. 
Sire  of  — 

Emperor  of  Norfolk,  423. 
Henry,  363. 
Mamie  Hall,  352. 

Northern  Turf,  the,  1 7. 

Northumberland  (called   also    Irish 
Gray),  118,  120. 

Obscurity,  54,  133. 


486 


Index 


Ocean  Course,  San  Francisco,  351. 

Octagon,  444. 

Oculator,  91,  92. 

Oden,  381. 

O'Donnell's      Lightning-Sovereign, 

336. 
Ogden,  444,  452. 
Old  Cub  Mare.     See  Cub  Mare, 
Old  England,  1 18,  119,  120. 
Old  Slamerkin.     See  Maria  Slamer- 

kin. 
"  Old  Standard."     See  Bashaw. 
"Old  Whitenose."     See  Boston. 
Oliver  and  Dickey,  205. 
Oliver  Cromwell,  92. 
Olympian,  457. 
Omar,  53. 
Omega,  241. 
Onea,  81. 

Oneck  Queen,  458. 
One  Dime,  381. 
O'Neil,  348. 
One  I  Love,  443. 
Onondaga,  404. 
Ophelia,  205,  219. 
Oriflamme,  421. 
Oriole,  400. 
Ornament,  444,  453. 
Orr,  Andrew,  120. 
Ortolan,  345. 
Orviile,  61. 
Oscar,  83,  122,  185. 
Ostrich,  231. 
Othello,  55,  1 1 2- 1 13. 

Pacific,  107. 

Pacific  Jockey  Club,  351,  362. 

Pacolet,  73,  221,  228. 

Paget  Turk,  89. 

Pagoda,  82. 

Palafox,  102. 

Palmer,  W.  J.,  356,  362. 

Palo  Alto  Ranch,  350. 


Pamela,  94. 

Pandora,  60,  82. 

Panique,  383. 

Pantaloon,  55. 

Parader,  The,  458,  459,  461. 

Paragon,  54,  132,  224. 

Paragon,  Burns's,  46. 

Parker,  James  V.,  401. 

Parole,  376-377.  382,  388,  389.  403. 

405- 
Partner,  24,  55,  in,  115. 
Pastorella,  89. 

Paterson  Course,  New  Jersey,  329. 
Patrick,    Gilbert   W.,    jockey,    205, 

251,   266,   272,  284,  288, 

290,  298,  316,  321. 
Patriot,  47,  51,  53,  loi. 
Patton,  Samuel,  3. 
Patton,  "Tom,"  316,  320. 
Payne,  Dr.  Thomas,  258. 
Peacemaker,  95. 
Pegasus,  55. 
Peggy,  Alston's,  72,  82. 
Peggy  (imported),  45,  82. 
Peggy  Madee,  180. 
Penelope,  72,  73. 
Pennoyer,  81,  82. 
Pennsylvania  — 

First  race  in,  11 9-1 21. 

First    thoroughbred    foaled    in, 

123. 
Race-horses   in,   prior   to    1 767, 

I18-119. 
Peregrine,  383,  384. 
Peri,  71. 
Pericles,  61. 
Perkins's  Diomed,  96. 
Peter  Pindar,  50. 
Peters,  Richard,  401. 
Peyton,  Baillie,  184,  229. 
Peytona,  76,  392. 
Phaeton,  368. 
Phenomenon,  60. 


Index 


487 


Picayune,  169. 

Picture,  50. 

Pigeon,  73. 

Pilgrim,  148. 

Pinafore,  408. 

Pinckney,  General  C.  C,  17,  39. 

Pink  Coat,  453, 

Pizaro,  408. 

Planet,  352,  362. 

Plaudit,  444,  452,  453. 

Plenipo,  71,  72,  76,  248. 

Plenipotentiary,  391. 

Plow  Boy,  229. 

Pocahontas,  72,  391-392. 

Pocotaligo,  81. 

Polk,  General  Leonidas,  229. 

Polk,  General  Lucius  J.,  229. 

Polly  Green,  238. 

Polly  Hopkins,  125,  132. 

Polly  Medley,  228. 

Polydore,  90,  127. 

Pontiac,  414. 

Poplar,  94. 

Porter,  William  T.,  192. 

Portland,  414. 

Portsmouth,  240. 

Post  Boy,  122. 

Posthuma,  71. 

Postmaster,  82. 

Post  Stakes,  275-276. 

Potomac  (fourth),  382,  436. 

Potomac,  Greer's,  123. 

Potomac,  sire  of  Romulus,  83. 

Potomac,  Wilkes's,  95,  223. 

Pot8os,  140. 

Preakness,  337,  338,  347,  365. 

Precedent,  336. 

Pretender,  222. 

Previous,  444,  446,  447,  449,  450, 

451.453- 
Priam,  58,  71,  72,  73,  76,  195,  391. 
Primrose,  55,  iii,  116. 
Primrose,  English,  377. 


Prince  Charlie,  426,  430,  435. 

Prince  Lee,  446,  447. 

Prince  Royal,  436. 

Prior,  382. 

Prioress,  169,  382,  392. 

Privateer,  52. 

Prizefighter,  127. 

Proctor  Knott,  426,  439. 

Prospect,  253. 

Psyche,  53,  60. 

Purdy,  A.  Belmont,  401. 

Purdy,  John  F.,  323. 

Purity,  100. 

Queen  Mab,  113. 
Queen  Mary,  193,  205, 
Queen,  The,  71,  73. 
Queen's  Own,  378-379. 
Quincy,  Josiah,  37-38. 
Quito,  379,  421. 

Race-horses,  American  — 
Early  owners  of,  37-84. 
English  impress  upon,  465. 
Four-mile  type,  passing  away  of, 

364-375- 
Ideal  of,  423. 
Immediately  before  and  after  the 

Revolution,  16-17. 
Modern  type,  376-396,  466-467. 
See   also    Racing    in    United 

States,       Records,       and 

names   of  horses. 
Raceland,  424,  428,  437. 
Races,  famous  — 

American  Eclipse  vs.  Sir  Henry, 

142-163. 
Before  Civil  War,  26-36. 
Bertrand  vs.  Aratus  and  others, 

65-66. 
Black   Maria,   for   Jockey    Club 

Purse      (Union     Course, 

1832),    172-177. 


488 


Index 


Races  \_continue(i'\  — 

Boston  vs.  Fashion,  258-273. 
Qara  Fisher  vs.  Bonnets  o'  Blue, 

59- 
Domino  vs.  Dobbins,  439-442. 
Fashion   vs.   John  Blount,  255- 

258. 
Fashion  vs.  Boston,  258-273. 
Fellowcraft,  366. 
Gallatin,  42-44. 
Idlewild  vs.  Jerome  Edgar  and 

others,  315-321. 
Kentucky,  against  time,  326-327. 
Lexington,    against    time,    282- 

291. 
Lexington  vs.  Lecompte  (1854), 

275-282. 
Lexington  vs.  Lecompte  (1855), 

294-304. 
Longfellow    vs.    Harry    Bassett, 

341-345- 
Miss  Woodford,  and  others,  415. 
Oscar  vs.  First  Consul,  122. 
Salvator  vs.  Tenny,  429-435. 
Selim,  119-121. 

Sir  Archy  vs.  Wrangler,  103-104. 
Ten  Broeck,  against  time,  369. 
Ten  Broeck  vs.  Mollie  McCarthy, 

370-375- 
Truxton  vs.  Greyhound,  22S-229. 
Wagner  vs.  Gray  Eagle,  189-219. 
West   vs.   East    (Thad    Stevens, 
True    Blue,    Joe  Daniels, 
Mamie  Hall),  351-362. 
See   also    Racing    in    United 
States,   and  Race-horses, 
American. 
Rachel,  61. 
Racine,  436. 
Racing  in  United  States  — 

Early  history  of,  in  the  North, 

124-145. 
First  race  meetings,  15-35. 


Racing  [continued'\  — 
Growth  of,  428. 
In  California,  349-363. 
In  Maryland,  1 10-123. 
In  the  Civil  War,  3 13-32 1. 
In  the  West,  136,  185. 
Old  Dominion,  position  of,  85- 

109. 
Present-day  racing,  397-409. 
See  also  Race-horses,  Ameri- 
can, and  Races,  famous. 
Rainbow,  71. 
Rampo,  443. 

Rancho  del  Paso,  California,  436. 
Randolph,  Colonel  Archibald,  100. 
Randolph,  John,   of   Roanoke,    43, 

108,  142,  164-165. 
Randolph,  William,  108. 
Ranger,  23,  24,  45,  1 1 3. 
Rataplan,  392. 
Ratray,  103. 
Rattle,  53. 

Rattler,  107,  125,  132. 
Rattlesnake,  64. 
Ravenel,  Daniel,  21. 
Rawcliffe   Stud   Company,  of  Eng- 
land, 226. 
Rayon  d'Or,  430. 
Reality,  107,  247, 
Records  — 
One-mile  — 

Beppo  (trotting),  297. 
Lady      Suffolk       (trotting), 

297. 
Luke  Blackburn,  393. 
Salvator,  against  time,  436. 
Ten  Broeck,  against  time,  369. 
One-and-a-quarter-mile  — 
Alcedo,  459. 
Dry  Monopole,  420. 
Gold  Heels,  461,  462. 
Irish  Lad,  465. 
Salvator,  435. 


Index 


489 


Records  \_co}tt{nued'\  — 
One-and-a-half-mile  — 

Firenzi,  436. 

Luke  Blackburn,  393, 
One-and-three-quarter-inile  — 

Glidelia,  393. 
Four-mile  — 

American  Eclipse,  161. 

Fashion,  272. 

Fellowcraft,  365,  366. 

George  Martin,  281, 

Idlewild,  321. 

Lecompte,  278. 

Lexington,  291,  303. 

Lucretia   Borgia    (present 
record),  292-293. 

Reel,  281, 

Ten  Broeck,  against  time,  369. 

The  Bachelor,  293. 
Red  Cap,  loi. 

"  Red  River  "  Horse.   See  Lecompte. 
Redgauntlet,  57. 
Reed,  Charles,  399,  404. 
Reel,  168,  275,  281. 
Rees's  Whip,  224. 
Regulus,  III. 

Regulus,  Martindale's,  113. 
Reina,  463. 
Rensselaer,  444. 
Report,  381,  400. 
Reporter,  315,  321. 
Republican,  42. 
Requital,  443,  444,  448. 
Resolute,  348. 
Reube,  276,  281. 
Revenue,  187. 
Rey  del  Rey,  436. 
Rey  el  Santa  Anita,  443,  444. 
Rhadamanthus,  400. 
Richards,  A.  Keene,  392. 
Richardson,  Colonel  James  B.,  62- 

63- 
Richardson,  W.  H.  B.,  84. 


Rienzo,  83. 

Right,  459. 

Riley,  436. 

Ringmaster,  363. 

Ripple,  386. 

Rives,  Nathaniel,  232. 

Robert,  Chris.  R.,  401. 

Robert  Waddell,  458-459. 

Robin  Brovv'n,  258,  272. 

Robin  Gray,  94. 

Robin  Redbreast,  166. 

Rob  Roy,  387. 

Rochester,  112. 

Rockingham,  loo-ioi. 

Roderick,  57. 

Rodney,  92. 

Romulus,  83. 

Rosaletta,  95. 

Rose,  Hugh,  46. 

Rosebud,  348, 

Rosetta,  25,  45. 

Rosicrucian,  62. 

Rounder,  336. 

Rover,  90. 

Rowe,  Captain  Donald,  72,  79-81. 

Rowton,  43,  72,  73,  79,  83, 

Roxanna,  42,  96,  133. 

Royalist,  222. 

Rubens,  75. 

Ruby,  73. 

Runnymede,  389,  406. 

Rupee,  82, 

Rushlight,  73. 

Russell,  436. 

Rusty  Robin,  96,  132. 

Rutherford,  350. 

Ruthless,  391. 

Rutledge,  H.  M.,  39, 

Sachem,  404. 

St.  Florian,  436,  437. 

St.  Louis,  384. 

St.  Maxim,  443,  444. 


490 


Index 


St.  Tammany,  96. 

Salina,  426. 

Sallie  McClelland,  436. 

Sally,  54,  58. 

Sally  Hope,  107. 

Sally  Jenkins,  58. 

Sally  Mulrine,  81. 

Sally  Richardson,  79-80. 

Sally  Trent,  252. 

Sally  Wright,  55. 

Saltram,  55. 

Salvator,  426, 427, 429-437, 457, 462. 

Sanders,  446. 

Sanford,  A.  Wright,  401. 

Sanford,  M.  H.,  331. 

Santa  Anita  Ranch,  near  Los  Ange- 
les, Cal.,  350. 

Santa  Anna,  83,  241. 

Sapphire,  73. 

Saracen,  72. 

Saratoga,  365,  367. 

Saratoga  Association,  313-314. 

Saratoga  Race-course,  313,  329, 

Sarpedon,  275. 

Saturday,  360. 

Saunterer,  387,  403. 

Savable,  462. 

Savannah,  90,  91. 

Saxe  Weimar,  60,  223. 

Scandal,  71. 

Schermerhorn,  F.  A.,  401. 

Scipio,  127. 

Scobel,  384. 

Scotilla,  379. 

Scottish  Chieftain,  444. 

Seagull,  80,  127. 

Secaucus  Course,  New  Jersey,  329. 

Sedbury,  113. 

Selden,  Colonel  M.,  89,  102,  108. 

Selim,  Mr.  Galloway's,  1 11,  112,  114, 
115-116,  119-121. 

Selima,  55,  114-116,  137. 

Senorita,  427,  428. 


Sensation,  396,  399. 

Sentinel,  14. 

Sertorius,  43. 

Shadow,  14,  56. 

Shark,  45,  46-47,  48,  49,  51,  56,  81. 

Sheepshead  Bay,  397. 

Sheridan,  General  Philip  H.,  412. 

Shotwell,  A.  L.,  205,  219. 

Shylock,  96,  347. 

Sidney  Lucas,  456. 

Silver  Eye,  55. 

Silver  Legs,  121. 

Silverheels,  1 1 6. 

Singleton,  208,  219. 

Singleton,  Colonel  Richard,  56-62, 

72,  82,  84. 
Sinkler,  Mr.,  of  South  Carolina,  83- 

84. 
Sir  Alfred,  96. 

Sir  Archy,   98-109,   147,   185,   221, 
230,  274,  334. 
Sire  of — 

Bertrand,  64,  223. 

Brilliant,  179. 

Cherokee,  223. 

Creeping  Kate,  65. 

Flirtilla,  166. 

Gohanna,  167. 

Kate  Kearney,  254. 

Kosciusko,  58,  60,  79. 

Lady  Ezras,  57. 

Lady  Lightfoot,  170. 

Lottery,  73. 

Mary  Singleton,  60. 

Phenomenon,  60. 

Pocahontas,  72. 

Redgauntlet,  57,  60. 

Saxe  Weimar,  60. 

Seagull,  80. 

Sir  Henry,  148,  170. 

Sumpter,  223. 

Timoleon,  232. 

Young  Lottery,  60. 


Index 


491 


Sir  Charles,  94,  107,  141,  187,  195. 
Sire  of — 

Andrew,  62. 

Bonnets  o'  Blue,  62,  247. 
Slender,  180. 
Wagner,  189. 
Sir  Dixon,  461. 
Sir  Harry,  224. 

Sir  Henry,  143,  145,  161-164,  467. 
Career,  164. 
Description,  147-148. 
Pedigree,  96,  107,  148. 
Race    with    American    Eclipse, 
146-147,  151-161. 
Sir  Hugh,  387,  388. 
Sir  Lovell,  205. 
Sir  Peter,  82. 
Sir  Peter  Teazle,  53. 
Sir  Robin,  132. 
Sir  Solomon,  80. 
Sir  Walter,  96,  141. 
Sir  Walter  (second),  437,  443,  444. 
Sir  William  (Jenkins'),  205. 
Sir  William  of  Transport,  107. 
Skylark,  imported,  76. 
Slamerkin.     See  Maria  Slamerkin. 
Slender  (imported),  121, 
Slender  (mare),  180. 
Slicer,  378. 
Sligo,  386,  387. 
Slim  (imported),  81,  I13,  126,  132, 

172,  174. 
Sly  Fox,  446,  452. 
Smith,  Captain  O'Brien,  39,  50. 
Snap,  52. 
Soldier,  82,  92. 
South  Carolina  Jockey  Club,  19,  25, 

49.  84. 
South  Carolina,  racing  in,  14,  15, 17, 

19-22. 
Sovereign,  71,  73. 

Spann,  Colonel,  of  South  Carolina,  as 
a  horse  breeder,  63-65, 67. 


Spark  (imported),  113. 

Speculator,  94,  222. 

Speed  in  horses,  297-298. 

Spendthrift,  396,  400. 

Spinaway,  399,  402. 

Spitfire,  90,  91. 

Splendid,  181. 

Sportsman,  400. 

Spread  Eagle,  45,  222. 

Spread  Eagle  Mare,  56. 

Sprigg,  Governor  Samuel,  of  Mary- 

land,  17,  187. 
Sprightly.     See  Slim. 
Springbok,  365,  396. 
Spumante,  71. 
Squirt,  lOl. 
Squirt  Mare,  loi. 
Stanford,  348. 
Stanford,  Leland,  350. 
Star  (imported),  52. 
Star,  Colonel  Johnson's,  252. 
Star  Davis,  315,  321. 
Star  Ruby  (imported),  466. 
Stark,  169,  392. 
Stella,  55,  114,  116. 
Sterling,  223. 
Stevens,  James,  268. 
Stevens,  John  C,  142,  162,  163,  178, 

179,  236. 
Stevens,  Robert  L.,  268. 
Sting,  96. 
Stirling,  45,  54. 
Stirling  Mare,  54. 
Stockholder,  107. 
Stockton,  255. 
Stockwell,  367,  392. 
Stockvvood,  336,  337,  338,  339. 
Stoney,  P.  G.,  84. 
Storm,  348. 
Storn,  Matt,  366. 
Story,  386. 
Strathmeath,  436. 
Stump  the  Dealer,  96. 


492 


Index 


Suburban,  The,  initial  race  of,  407, 

420. 
Sultan,  61,  390. 
Sumpter,  125,  132. 
Sumter,  107,  223. 
Superior  Hornet,  96. 
Surprise,  72. 
Susan  Beane,  335. 
Susannah,  loi. 
Susquehanna,  394,  399, 
Swango,  447. 
Sylphide,  253. 
Syphon,  10 1. 

Tabitha,  icxd. 

Tally  Ho,  30,  50. 

Tammany,  436. 

Tanner,  113,  114. 

Tartar  Mare,  40, 

Tayloe,  Colonel  John,  17,  58,   100, 

108,  186. 
Taylor,  Arthur,  160,  233. 
Taylor,  Hubbard,  222. 
Tears,  71. 
Teazer,  iii. 
Telegram,  337. 
Telegraph,  41. 
Telemachus,  254, 
Temperance,  95. 
Temptress,  335. 
Ten  Broeck,  368-375,  436. 
Ten  Broeck,  Richard,  282,  283,  285, 

286,  294,  307,  382. 
Tennessee  horses,  227-229. 
Tennessee  Oscar,  228. 
Tenny,  427,  429,  434,  435,  457. 
Terminus,  461. 
Tetotum,  91. 
Thad  Stevens,  351-363. 
The  Actress.     See  Actress,  the. 
The  Bachelor.     See  Bachelor,  the. 
The  Balkan.     See  Balkan,  the. 
The  Bard.     See  Bard,  the. 


The    Bolton   Starling.      See  Bolton 

Starling,  the. 
The    Brilliant    Mare.     See   Brilliant 

Mare,  the. 
The  Colonel.     See  Colonel,  the. 
The    Commoner.      See   Commoner, 

the. 
The  Friar.     See  Friar,  the. 
The  Huguenot.    See  Huguenot,  the. 
The  Farader.     See  Parader,  the. 
The  Queen.     See  Queen,  the. 
Thebais,  383. 
Thistle,  III,  116. 
Thomas,  E.  R.,  463. 
Thora,  386,  399,  404-407,  425,  438. 
Tiger,  219,  224. 
Tillo,  444. 
Timoleon,  185,  230. 
Sire  of — 

Boston,  232. 

Nebo,  57. 

Washington,  143. 
Son  of  Sir  Archy,  107,  143. 
Tippoo  Sultan,  123. 
Todd,  C.  H.,  421. 
Toddy,  459. 
Toler,  Henry  K.,  272. 
Tom,  94. 

Tom  Bowling,  408. 
Tom  ©chiltree,  396. 
Tommy  Atkins,  457. 
Top  Gallant,  44,  95,  122. 
Topsey,  382. 
Tormentor,  127. 
Tortoise,  94. 
Touch  and  Jump,  50. 
Touchstone,  222. 
Tournament,  428,  437. 
Tranby,  255. 
Tranby  Mare,  the,  412. 
Transport,  63. 

Traveller,  Morton's,  55,  115. 
Travers,  WiUiam  R.,  314,  323,  401. 


Index 


493 


Treat,  George,  354,  362. 

Tree  Hill  Course,  15,  85. 

Tremont,  416-417,  419,  427. 

Trentham,  100. 

Trenton,  254,  255. 

Trifle,  70,  172,  174,  1 78,  1 82. 

Trinket,  73. 

Trip,  80. 

Tristan,  384. 

Tristram  Shandy,  50. 

Troubadour,  414,  416,  417-418,  422. 

Trouble,  399. 

True  Blue  (first),  102. 

True  Blue  (second),  346,  347,  350, 

351.  354»  362. 
True  Briton,  113,  115. 
Trumpator,  53,  82. 
Trumpetta  (Colonel  Hampton's),  72, 

82. 
Trumpetta  (Colonel  Washington's), 

45.  48. 
Trustee,  135. 
Sire  of — 

Fashion,  168,  247. 

Nanny,  252. 

Reube,  276. 

Tyler,  254. 
Truston,  228-229,  252. 
Try  all,  112. 
Tryon,  96. 
Tubman,  336. 
Tuckahoe,  232,  254,  255. 
Tulip,  95. 
Turf,  91. 

Turf,  patrons  of,  in  Virginia,  108. 
Turfman,  380. 
Twig,  56. 
Tyler,  254,  256,  263. 

Ugly,  53- 

Uncas,  381,  396,  403. 
"  Uncle  "  John  Harper.    ^^1;  Harper, 
John. 


Union  Course,  New  York,  134,  166, 

231,  239,  254. 
Union,  Hall's,  in,  113. 
Union  Park,  Sacramento,  Cal.  323. 
Upton  Heath,  235. 
Uriel,  337. 
Urtica,  91, 

Vagrant,  380. 

Valentino,  387,  388. 

Valiant,  55,  95,  148. 

Vandal,  412. 

Vandalite,  365. 

Vanderbilt,  William  K.,  401. 

Vanity,  107. 

Van  Mater,  Joseph  H.,  254,  255. 

Van  Ranst,  C.  W.,  135,  138. 

Vapor,  378,  391. 

Varus,  447. 

Venture,  95. 

Vernon,  Richard,  89. 

Versalia,  363. 

Vertumnus,  58,  79. 

Vespucius,  337, 

Victor,  95. 

Victoria,  345,  347. 

Victory,  348. 

Viley,  Captain  Willa,  205,  219. 

Village  Blacksmith,  347. 

Vingt-un,  55,  81,  96. 

Virago,  48. 

Virgil,  385,  396,  416. 

Virginia,  3-14,  85-109,  230. 

Virginia    (formerly    Coquette),   81, 

82,  83. 
Virginia  Cade,  140. 
Virginia  Taylor,  181,  182. 
Virginian,  65,  107,  254. 
Virginius,  63,  72,  81,  82,  96,  I02. 
Vivaldi,  50. 
Volante,  414,  415. 
Voltague,  386. 
Volturno,  380, 


494 


Index 


Voluptuary,  383. 
Voter,  368,  444-445- 

Wagner,  73,  189,  190-219. 

Walton,  60,  72. 

Wanda,  409. 

Wanderer,  336,  338,  339,  346,  365, 

396. 
Wandering  Nun,  383. 
War  Dance,  413. 
War  Eagle,  408. 
Warden,  391. 
Warfield,  394. 
Wargentine,  378. 
Warlike,  347. 
Warminster-Sophia,  347. 
Warning,  56. 
Warrenton,  457. 
Washington,  143. 
Washington,   Colonel   William,    17, 

45-51- 
Owner  of — 
Alborac,  41. 
Ranger,  23, 
Rosetta,  25. 
Shark,  51. 
Washington,  General  George,  16,  39. 
Washington  Park  Jockey  Club,  Chi- 
cago, 412-413,  453,  456. 
Washington  (D.C.)  Race-course,  25, 
37.    38-39.   85,   185-187, 
235- 
Washingtons,    the,    patrons    of    the 

turf,  108. 
Waterboy,  176,  464,  466,  467, 
Watercress,  461,  464,  466. 
Water  Cure,  459. 
Waxy,  363. 

Wells,  Thomas  D.,  275,  281,  294. 
Westmore,    General     Stephen    M., 

295. 
West  Wind,  72. 
Wetmore,  George  P.,  401. 


Whalebone,  60,  61. 

Wheatley,  346,  347. 

Wheatley,  Charles  R.,  314. 

Whip,  Blackburn's,  224. 

Whip  (imported),  224, 

Whip,  Kennon's,  224. 

Whip,  Rees's,  224. 

Whipster,  80,  224. 

Whisker,  61,  71,  73,  76. 

Whiskey,  94. 

Whiskey  King,  460,  461. 

Whitney,  William  C,  460,  461. 

Wightman,  William,  362. 

Wild  Bill,  195. 

Wild  Medley,  205,  219. 

Wildair,  12,  80,  1 16,  125,  135,  223. 

Wildidle,  350,  396. 

Wildman's  Babraham,  113. 

Wilkes,  J.  Hamilton,  268. 

Wilkes's  Wonder,  228. 

William  Williamson,  early  name  of 

horse    Boston.      See   that 

title. 
Willis,  30. 
Wilson,  John,  37. 
Winesap,  337. 
Winters,  Theodore,  370. 
Withers,  D.  D.,  400, 
Woful,  71. 
Wolsey,  90. 

Wolstenholme,  Daniel,  114. 
Wonder  (General  Hampton's),  54. 
Wonder,  Wilkes's,  228. 
Woodburn,  363. 
Woodburn,  Kentucky,  stud  farm  of 

Robert  A.  Alexander,  226, 

309,  333- 
Woodlawn  Course,  Louisville,  Ky., 

313.  329- 
Woodpecker,  190,  205. 
Woodpecker  (first),  52. 
Worthing,  383. 
Wotton,  90. 


Index 


495 


Wraglands'  Diomed,  96. 

Wrangler,  94,  96,  I02,  103. 

Wring-jaw,  96. 

Wyeth,  462. 

Wynn,  General  William,  142,  166. 

Yankee,  459,  460. 

Yellow  Slim,  113. 

Yorick,  55,  81,  115. 

York   Course   at    Charleston   Neck, 

S.C,  35,  36. 
Yorkshire,  323. 
Yorkville,  437. 
Yorkville  Belle,  436, 
Yo  Tambien,  436,  437,  443. 


Young  Cade,  iii. 
Young  Fashion,  168,  363. 
Young  Giantess,  94. 
Young  Milton,  414. 
Young  Noisette,  95. 
Young  Peggy,  44,  82. 
Young    Tanner    (afterwards    called 
Bajazet),  114. 

Zanesville  (Ohio)  Racing  Park,  329, 

Zeigler,  H.  M.,  463. 

Zelippa,  80. 

Zenobia,  315,  321. 

Zephyrina,  82. 

Zinganee  (imported),  315,  321. 


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